Originally from New York City, Kevin has fully embraced and loves living in Yellow Springs. He arrives at Antioch College after 15 years as a graduate director with Project Dragonfly at Miami University. Over the course of his career, he has published research on pollinator diversity in urbanized landscapes like New York City and Chicago, the biodiversity of sacred groves in India, ways of reducing human-elephant conflict in Thailand, and more. He has also worked closely with major zoos/botanical gardens and has traveled and led field courses in over a dozen countries.

A graduate of Earlham College, Kevin deeply values the creative, hands-on spirit of small liberal arts institutions. As Director of the EcoFarm, he sees learning on the farm and other Learning Hubs at Antioch College as incredible community-embedded living laboratories.

When teaching, Kevin works with students to connect ecological theory to hands-on science and community engagement. Some possibilities include monitoring local native pollinator abundance and sharing with local community members, learning about local deer populations and perceptions of wildlife, and contributing to the farm’s pastured egg and native plant initiatives.

For fun, Kevin enjoys birdwatching, working out at the Wellness Center, playing basketball and pickleball, and all things fantasy and sci-fi. Recent book reads include Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Fourth Wing, and the Red Rising series. He also hosts a podcast called The Ecological Bestiary, which links real-world ecology and conservation topics to fantasy animals like Owl Bears, Dragons, and Gelatinous Cubes.

Education

• Ph.D. in Ecology — Fordham University
• B.A. in Biology — Earlham College

Selected Publications

• Pai, O., Sarnaik, J., Godbole, A., Mahajan, G., Gawade, A., & Matteson, K. (2026). Giant trees enhance zoochorous plant dispersal in sacred groves and human settlements of the Western Ghats, India. PLOS ONE, 21(5), e0343978.
• Van de Water, A., Sutthiboriban, N., & Matteson, K. C. (2023). Cultivating elephant-friendly crops as a community-based strategy for human–elephant coexistence in Thailand. Conservation Science and Practice, 5(11), e13028.
• Matteson, K. C., Ascher, J. S., & Langellotto, G. A. (2008). Bee richness and abundance in New York City urban gardens. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 101(1), 140-150.
• Matteson, K. C., & Langellotto, G. A. (2011). Small-scale additions of native plants increase pollinator visitation in urban gardens. Local Environment, 16(7), 621-638.

Courses Taught at Antioch

• SCI 270 – Applied Entomology and Community Science (Fall Term)
• TBD (Winter Term)
• ENVS 339 – Ecological Agriculture (Spring Term)