Alexander Hey

Alex Hey is a 2025-2029 Self Graduate Fellow pursuing a doctoral degree in ecology and evolutionary biology. Originally from West Chicago, Illinois, He grew up in the greater Chicagoland area. In 2023, he graduated magna cum laude from the Honors College at Colorado State University with dual B.S. degrees in Zoology and in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. After graduation, he worked as a wildlife technician for the U.S. Forest Service on the Parks Ranger District before beginning his M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas, which he completed in the summer of 2025.

For his master’s thesis, Alex explored innovative applications of portable DNA sequencing technologies, aiming to improve field-based genomic research. Looking forward, he hopes to build on this work by developing rapid and cost-effective sequencing methods that expand global access to genomic tools. His long-term goal is to apply these advancements to biodiversity research and inform conservation and wildlife management strategies. Ultimately, he envisions returning to an agency setting or holding a joint research appointment with a university, where he can continue advancing the field of conservation genomics.

Mentor: Jocelyn Colella, Ph.D. Curator - Mammalogy, KU Natural History Museum