Ohio Northern University faculty member Katherine Krynak’s zeal for animals has led her to a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship opportunity in South America. Krynak, assistant professor of biology, has been selected to study in Ecuador for three months beginning March 2017.

Krynak’s study, “Effects of Introduced Trout on Glassfrogs of Ecuador and the Relationship to Amphibian Disease Susceptibility,” has the potential to make a positive impact on the region’s environment and people.

This endeavor builds upon similar work Krynak has undertaken. She has previously worked in Panama studying golden frogs and investigating a pathogen that was killing off this species of frog that is indigenous to the region.

“In Panama, we used to study a population of frogs in a stream we nicknamed the ‘thousand frog stream’ because the golden frogs were so abundant you had to be careful to not step on one,” Krynak said. “Just a few months later, we couldn’t find a single golden frog in that stream. The pathogen had beaten us there, and the frogs were gone.”

The sobering realization that she had witnessed the extinction of a species led Krynak back to school. Her doctoral studies at Case Western University focused on amphibian immune defenses. “I pursued this in the hope I could someday protect other amphibian species from meeting the same fate as the golden frog,” Krynak said.

Krynak’s passion for animals began when she was a child in Middletown, Ohio.

“I always liked amphibians. Even as a child, I liked catching frogs,” she said. “I have always been interested in how a change of environment affects wildlife. Then, seeing frogs go extinct, as I did in Panama, altered my career path entirely.”

In her upcoming Fulbright project in Ecuador, Krynak will study how local trout farms impact the water systems that sustain endemic glass frogs. Her goal is to help find a solution that preserves both the frogs and the livelihood of the farmers.

“I would love it if my amphibian immune defense research would be used to direct land management,” Krynak said. “If we can better protect the natural habitat, we might be able to give amphibians a better chance to protect themselves from pathogens like the one that killed off the golden frog. At the same time, we have to balance these efforts against the plight of those tending the trout farms, which provide just a sustenance living for their families.”

Krynak, who is in her first semester on campus, strives to share both her research efforts and the passion that drives her with students in her classrooms and labs at ONU.

“Any time faculty members are passionate about what they do, I hope it rubs off on the students,” she said. “I want to share that passion and also help the students learn about working toward a goal and powering through the tough times because what you are doing is worth it.”

Krynak recently led a group of ONU students to the Florida panhandle for a marine biology course. The students studied the symbiotic microbial organisms that are thought to help protect crustaceans from disease.

“It was great experience for the students, and I had a blast. I really like this type of applied research, and I think the students get into it,” Krynak said. “These types of opportunities help students connect their classroom studies to field application. They get to see how what they are studying can impact animals and make a difference. It is very unusual for undergraduate students to be involved in the type of research we offer at ONU.”

Krynak previously worked for 10 years as a zookeeper in Cincinnati and Cleveland, and those experiences continue to provide research opportunities. She currently is participating in work with the Cleveland Metro Parks Zoo to study relationships between western lowland gorillas and heart disease. An upcoming project will involve black rhinos and insulin resistance.

Krynak succinctly sums up the exuberance she has for her professional pursuits as well as the field of science.

“It is interesting. It is fun. It rocks.”