Welcome to my home page!    I joined the faculty at Cedar Crest in 2002 after seven years of teaching at large public universities. I was an undergraduate at Colby College, where I double-majored in biology and music. I earned my Ph.D. at Wesleyan University, studying the quantitative genetics and physiology of seasonal adaptation and biological rhythms in the Djungarian hamster. My postdoctoral research at Rutgers and Harvard focused on molecular evolution and population genetics.

Teaching. In Spring 2024, I am teaching BIO 231 (Genetics, lecture), BIO 317 (Human and Biomedical Genetics, lecture), BIO 123 (Foundations of Biology, lab), and BIO 344 (DNA Sequencing, techniques course). I have also recently taught BIO 111 (Concepts in Ecology and Environmental Issues, lecture and lab), BIO 112 (Concepts in Human Biology and Health Issues, lecture), BIO 248 (Biostatistics, lecture), and BIO 239 (Animal Ecology, Evolution and Development, lab).

Interests. My research interests are broad, and center on questions in evolution and ecology, primarily using approaches involving genetics/genomics. I am an active proponent of evolution education, serving on the Education and Outreach Committee of the Society for the Study of Evolution (currently as chair) and as an organizer of Undergraduate Diversity at Evolution. I was also the Editor-in-Chief of the first edition of the Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology (Academic Press, 2016).

To help students develop more sophisticated understanding of population genetics concepts, I have developed a free population genetics computer simulation for classroom use (EvolGenius). I've compiled versions for Windows and Mac; the executables, source code, user guides, and program validation can be found on my linked EvolGenius page. I've also developed a multiweek molecular population genetics exercise, the "Cow Diversity Project;" the link brings you to the related materials published in the EvoEd Digital Library.

Contact Info: Phone: (610) 606-4666, ext 3501 Email: rmkliman@cedarcrest.edu Office: Miller Building, Room 24

Mailing Address: Dept. of Biological Sciences Cedar Crest College 100 College Drive Allentown, PA 18104-6196

Scuba photo by Bill Forsee, Earthwatch volunteer, 2011