Kenneth Paul Dial
OFFICE:
Division of Biological Sciences
The University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
Phone: (406) 243-6875
Fax: (406) 243-4184
Education and Training:
Post-Doctoral Fellow Harvard University (F.A. Jenkins, Jr. and G.E. Goslow, Jr.)
Ph.D. 1984 (Zoology) Northern Arizona University (Terry A. Vaughan, advisor)
M.S. 1978 (Biology) California State Univ Long Beach (David Huckaby, advisor)
B.S. 1976 (Biology) Loyola Marymount University
Current Appointments:
Professor (1998)
Research Associate, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University (1988)
Other Appointments:
Director, University of Montana's Field Research Station at Fort Missoula (1998-2008)
Director, Organismal Biology and Ecology, Graduate Program, Div. Biol. Sci. (2000-2003)
Host / Consultant, Discovery Communication's Animal Planet nature series, "All Bird TV" (26 episodes) 1996-1999.
Board of Directors, H.B. Drollinger Commercial Real Estate Co., Los Angeles, California. (1996-present)
Academic Appointments:
1995-2000 Associate Editor, The Auk
1991-1997 Associate Professor, Division of Biological Sciences, Univ. Montana
1988-1991 Assistant Professor, Division of Biological Sciences, Univ. Montana
1986-1988 Post-doctoral Fellow, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Univ
1985-1986 Post-doctoral Fellow, Dept. Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona Univ.
1981-1985 Instructor, Dept. Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona Univ.
1980-1981 Research Assistant, Dept. Biological Sciences Northern Arizona Univ.
1977-1979 Teaching Assistant, Dept. Biology, California State Univ. Long Beach
Selected Publications:
Dial, K. P. (2003) Wing assisted incline running and the evolution of flight. Science 299: 402-404.
Research Interests:
I continue to focus on the ontogenetic development, neuromuscular control, skeletal biomechanics, mechanical power production, metabolic energy costs, limb, tail and body kinematics, and flight styles associated with the ecology of avian flight. In an effort to communicate outside the college classroom, I developed and hosted twenty-eight 30-minute television programs for Discovery Communication's Animal Planet focusing on avian biology and evolution. This program continues to air reaching a world-wide audience of over 100 million. In addition, I have been fortunate to have my flight research highlighted on many popular scientific television programs (NOVA, PBS, BBC, Discovery Magazine, Scientific American Frontiers, National Geographic, and other independent film makers) as well as public museums (e.g., British Natural History Museum, Museum of Science, Boston, Yale and Berkeley public museums). In these efforts, I have attempted to impress upon the layperson an understanding of the utility of science from broad perspectives (functional morphology, ecology, behavior, paleontology, neurobiology, and evolutionary biology). We have consistently had 3-4 undergraduates, predominately women, work in our lab each semester. My funded research has always represented a fundamentally collaborative effort with experts in: neuromuscular control, skeletal kinematics, modeling, animation, paleontology, and life history biology. Initially trained as an ecologist, yet engaged in studies within functional experimental morphology (muscular activity, skeletal movement, mechanical power-output, growth and development), my current research involves collaboration with several experts in diverse areas of biology (paleontology, biomechanics, physiology).
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