Dr. John E. Wear Jr.
Director of Catawba Center for the Environment
Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science

Contact Info:
Phone: (704) 637-4738
Fax: (704) 637-4221
E-mail: jwear@catawba.edu

Direct Media Relations Contact:
Tonia Black-Gold
Chief Communications Officer
Phone: (704) 637-4393
E-mail: tblackgo@catawba.edu

Biography
Director, Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science - B.S.- North Carolina State University; M.S. - University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Ph.D. - Wake Forest University.

Currently Wear is a charter member of the following organizations: North Carolina Watershed Coalition (President), LandTrust for Central North Carolina (President), Rowan County Sustainable Community Development & Commission (chairman), Save-Our-State (member). In addition, he was on the executive committee of the regional environmental summit, executive committee for the Rowan County Strategic Planning Process, and the Steering Committee for Salisbury Vision 2020 planning process.

His current projects have included the acquisition and creation of the South Yadkin Wildlife Refuge and he has been the oversight for design phase of the construction for the Center for the Environment.

Dr. John Wear, Jr. has held a number of leadership positions in the community and the state and is known for his uncommon ability to develop partnerships that involve people in conservation efforts at the grassroots level. He has developed a thriving Center for the Environment at Catawba College that has integrated a small college into regional conservation.