Bart Ballard received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M–College Station and Texas A&M University-Kingsville's Joint Ph.D. Program. He was a Research Associate from 1993 to 1999 and an Associate Research Scientist from 1999 to 2002. He was appointed to the faculty at Texas A&M University-Kingsville in 2002 and currently holds the rank of Associate Professor and Research Scientist in the Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences and Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, respectively. Bart teaches and conducts research in Avian Community Ecology and Wetland Ecology.