Craig Guyer has always been intrigued by amphibians and reptiles.
"I loved learning about them as a kid and I guess I never really outgrew it," said Guyer, professor of biological sciences.
Guyer grew up near San Diego and attended Humboldt State University in the northern part of the state. After receiving his doctorate at the University of Miami, he came to Auburn in 1987.
"I didn't know much about Auburn, but the people that talked to me about it spoke glowingly of it," Guyer said. "When I arrived the people here won me over, and I have never looked back."
Guyer teaches a course in vertebrate biodiversity focusing on the evolution of various organisms, as well as a course in herpetology, or the study of amphibians and reptiles.
"As a herpetologist, I focus on a narrow group of organisms that people just don't like at all," Guyer said. "So you have to really like it to get over the fact that people will ask why you are wasting time with things that some people don't have an interest in."
Guyer also teaches outside the classroom, taking his classes to Tuskegee National Forest and parks around Auburn. He said he has traveled back and forth to Central America and Costa Rica ever since he came to Auburn to help teach a course involving field research.
"The very best education is when I get to take students into the field and allow them to catch and observe the animals in nature," Guyer said. "That is when you can really show them things that you can't in a lecture, Powerpoint or whiteboard."
Chris Murray is in his second semester as a graduate assistant for Guyer.
"To be around him in the field is great because he is extremely knowledgeable," Murray said. "He is very enthusiastic about his work and he really wants his students to learn the material."
Guyer didn't know he wanted to teach until he was a master's student, when he decided he wanted to learn more about the field of biological sciences.
"My first teaching course was anatomy and physiology, which I knew wasn't what I wanted to teach or study," Guyer said. "But I enjoyed getting in that environment where I had to think on my feet and have an answer when people asked mature questions."
Guyer also curates Auburn's collection of amphibians and reptiles.
"We have the best collection in the world," he said. "The collection is currently in the Physiology Building, but there are plans to build a new one so that more people can know about it and observe."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
