Dr. Hays Cummins is Professor Emeritus & Distinguished Educator and Teacher of Geography at Miami University (Ohio). He grew up in the swamps and bayous of southern Louisiana catching as many snakes as he could find. He received his PhD in oceanography from Texas A&M University and has led scores of international courses to the Bahamas, the Netherlands Antilles, Belize, Australia, Namibia and Costa Rica. While at Miami University, he was Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI of over $4.5 million of grants. His research focuses on the reconstruction of past ecological communities in marine systems and understanding ecological change. He also has a passion for conservation, ecological restoration, climate change, tropical ecology, coral reefs, weather, birding, astronomy, and photography.
He has authored many research papers and popular articles focusing on science and science education. Recent publications include books on Bahamas birds and coral reef fish as well as journal articles on coral reef disease on the Great Barrier Reef and a synthesis paper on American beaver canals and their environmental effects.
Hays is now a permanent Florida resident and enjoys living in the wilderness of the Florida Big Bend with his wife Donna. Their property is in a conservation easement with Tall Timbers Land Conservancy.