One of the nation’s leading scholars and advocates of an ancient species of ray-finned fish is returning to his alma mater, Ohio Northern University, to deliver the 2026 Keiser Distinguished Lecture.
Known throughout the U.S. as the “Gar Guy,” Dr. Solomon David, BS ’00, is an assistant professor within the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota.
His lecture, entitled “Modern Conservation Insights from Ancient Fishes,” will take place on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in the Freed Center for the Performing Arts. The event is free and open to the public.
David’s research and conservation work have appeared across national broadcast networks, major print publications, popular podcasts, and digital media. He specializes in the ecology, conservation, and management of non-game native fishes, with an emphasis on ancient fishes, including gars and bowfins. Additional projects involve river-floodplain restoration ecology and conservation of peripheral populations of species.
He received his B.S. in biology from ONU, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment. His graduate research focused on conservation ecology of Great Lakes fishes, and he conducted postdoctoral research in fish ecology at Shedd Aquarium, University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S. Geological Survey, and Michigan State University. He served as assistant professor of biological sciences at Nicholls State University before assuming his present position at the University of Minnesota.
Delivering the Keiser Distinguished Lecture is a full-circle moment for David. He credits Dr. Terry Keiser, BSEd ’64, professor of biological sciences emeritus and namesake of the lecture series, for inspiring his career path.
David’s fascination with fish started in elementary school when a neighborhood boy loaned him a Ranger Rick magazine. The magazine’s center spread featured an alligator gar. He learned that gars had been around since the time of the dinosaurs, and that some were even older than his favorite dinosaur the T-Rex, and he was hooked.
In high school, however, David figured it would be more feasible to become a doctor than a fish biologist. He entered ONU as a pre-med major, but it didn’t take long for Keiser—a gar enthusiast himself—to uncover David’s true passion.
“I was plodding through pre-med and my professors knew my heart just wasn’t into it. They gave me the courage to tell my parents and change my major,” David once said.
Keiser recognized that David had a knack for field research and memorizing fish species, and he encouraged his graduate studies at the University of Michigan.
David considers himself a conservation ambassador—a role he thrives on. His enthusiasm for his subject matter is contagious. Audiences both young and old enjoy his presentations and follow his postings on Twitter, blogs, and YouTube.
“It’s possible to share a story that will resonate with a lot of people—from Chicago, to Cleveland, to Duluth—because these fish and the Great Lakes are right in their backyard,” he once said.