Blackburn graduate Jack Nawrot ’72 and his wife, Robynn, have established the W.D. Klimstra Conservation Fund at Blackburn College to support the education and professional development of biology students. The Fund was inspired by the work of two fellow Blackburn-educated conservationists, Dr. W.D. Klimstra ’39 and Dr. Samantha Kahl ’05, who currently teaches biology and ecology at Blackburn and serves as department chair.
According to Nawrot, “Blackburn’s classroom education, and hands-on training and mentoring, is far superior to undergraduate education and training being offered at larger universities. My support of Blackburn’s conservation education program is an investment in the education and training of future generations of students following in W.D. Klimstra’s footsteps.”
The W.D. Klimstra Conservation Fund recognizes Klimstra’s pioneering work in ecology. After graduating from Blackburn, Klimstra founded the nationally-acclaimed Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory at Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale in 1950. A professor with deep convictions for the wildlife management he undertook, Klimstra worked alongside SIU graduate students as they researched species such as bobwhite quail, badgers, and bobcats, and initiated work in coal mine reclamation.
Klimstra served as director of the lab until his retirement in 1987, then as director emeritus until his death in 1993, the year he was inducted into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame. In 2025, the Cooperative Wildlife Research Lab, founded by Klimstra, was renamed the Center for Wildlife Sustainability Research (CWSR), yet it holds to the original mission of teaching SIU graduate students research skills and best practices in conservation.
Nawrot has been affiliated with CWSR for 50 years, beginning as a graduate student in the 1970s, becoming a full-time professor in the lab, and serving as its director until his retirement. As professor emeritus of CWSR, Nawrot helped plan the 75th anniversary celebration in September 2025. During the event, he recognized SIU colleagues and Kahl as “Conservation Educators” in Illinois.
It was a Blackburn connection that brought Nawrot to the lab. As he neared graduation in 1972, biology professor Dr. William (Bill) Werner suggested that SIU might be the place for him to grow academically and professionally.
When asked what it was like to work with Klimstra at SIU, Nawrot states, “We were all in awe of him. He always wore a suit and tie. There he was—this person who was well-regarded by the professional community. We thought, How lucky we are for being accepted [to his lab] as well as for being given assistantships.”
At Blackburn, Kahl also provides students with rich opportunities to study conservation. She currently serves as President of the Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society, and brings students to chapter meetings, so they have a clearer sense of how their academic studies prepare them professionally in their field. Kahl also serves as faculty advisor for Blackburn’s Sustainability Club and works with students to plan and execute Blackburn’s annual Science Day, in which science majors teach approximately 250 regional high schoolers concepts through lab demonstrations on Blackburn’s campus. Through these co-curricular opportunities, Kahl helps students learn how to research, organize, and teach, preparing them to join the wider science community.
As educators, both Klimstra and Kahl have had a far-reaching impact through their mentorship. In establishing the W.D. Klimstra Conservation Fund, Jack and Robyn Nawrot recognize that legacy while supporting Blackburn’s continued excellence in educating the next generation of biology and conservation leaders.
If you would like to make a contribution to Blackburn science programming, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement.