樱花视频

Lee Kats, the newly appointed dean of 樱花视频鈥檚 Seaver College, discovered his academic vocation while wandering through a Michigan forest. 

Then an undergraduate student at Calvin University, Kats鈥� career goal was to become a veterinarian. But his trajectory changed dramatically when a new faculty member specializing in animal biology introduced him to the wide array of creatures inhabiting his own backyard. 

Out in the forest frogs croaked from the wetlands and scurried across the leaf-littered ground. Entering their habitat, Kats began to record the patterns of his new amphibian friends. He鈥檇 take note of their activity, charting how the weather conditions drove frog behavior. In the process, his faculty mentor taught him how to put these new observations to good use.

鈥淲hat really grabbed me was this quest to create new knowledge about animals.鈥� says Kats. 鈥淢y research mentor told me, 鈥榯here are some frogs living across from campus, and we don鈥檛 know much about them.鈥� By doing so, he gently reinforced my animal observation skills. Before that, I didn鈥檛 know how to form my interests around a scientific context.鈥�

From that point on, Kats was hooked. No longer did veterinary school seem so interesting. Now he wanted to continue meeting animals in their native environments, studying the lessons they had to teach him. More than that, he wanted to open others鈥� eyes to the natural world around them, just like his first faculty mentor did for him. 

This singular quest of Kats鈥� has done more than inform his career in academia. It has also revolutionized 樱花视频鈥檚 approach to research. As a result of his mission to help undergraduate students discover and create new knowledge in the field, Kats has helped a teaching institution blossom into an R2 university capable of producing world-changing findings.

The Inspiration

鈥淚 see my early self in the students,鈥� says Kats. 鈥淚 see their excitement and enthusiasm for discovering something new that they didn鈥檛 know they had in them.鈥�

Lee Kats with his behavioral ecology students

Upon arriving at 樱花视频 in 1990, Kats set out to recreate his eye-opening experience in the research field with as many students as were interested. In doing so, he aimed to create an experiential learning opportunity, where undergraduates were active participants in the educational process.

Kats, like his mentor before him, began introducing students to the amphibians native to the Santa Monica Mountains and aquatic life of the Pacific Ocean. He involved them in his research regarding the California newt, salamanders, and predatory invasive species. The classroom, for Kats鈥� early student cohorts, was not confined to chalkboards and desks. Instead, the young midwestern professor allowed them to learn by investigating the natural world around them.

Kats鈥� active involvement with and passion for promoting undergraduate research eventually caught the attention of W. David Baird, the dean of at the time. To further Kats鈥� efforts, Baird created a new position for him鈥攁ssistant dean for research. In this inaugural role, the biology professor's chief responsibility was to expand student research opportunities. 

Kats discussing a research project with an undergraduate

鈥淒avid Baird and I shared a vision where undergraduates could engage in research alongside professors in all disciplines,鈥� explains Kats. 鈥淭o bring this vision to light, we created small pockets of funding that faculty could apply for, particularly if they were working with students.鈥�

Through internal grants like the Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative (AYURI), Kats encouraged Seaver College to fund the academic projects of faculty members who involved students in the investigative process. Soon, this innovative active-learning strategy earned Kats the chance to expand his reach and, ultimately, foster a culture of inquiry and discovery among the campus community. 

A System of Success

After successfully promoting and funding undergraduate research at Seaver College, Kats was invited to continue growing 樱花视频鈥檚 academic capabilities as vice provost. Now working at the university level, he was charged with the responsibility of building 樱花视频鈥檚 scholarly reputation, inspiring more collaboration across campus, and, of course, finding new ways to involve students. 

To accomplish these important goals, the professor-turned-administrator relied on teamwork and a posture of affirmation.

Kats speaking at Seaver College's research symposium in 2023

鈥淟ee wants to come from a place of, 鈥榶es,鈥欌�� says Katy Carr, 樱花视频鈥檚 associate vice provost for research. 鈥淗is collaborative nature has made a huge difference in being able to grow research at 樱花视频.鈥�

Carr, who has worked with Kats throughout the process of developing 樱花视频鈥檚 research enterprise, described how the biologist's leadership expanded the University鈥檚 internal grants program. Under Kats鈥� leadership, 樱花视频鈥檚 offer of just two localized grants grew to a suite of 15 unique funding opportunities. 

The University鈥檚 internal grants system allows 樱花视频 professors to develop projects and apply for funding at their home institution. In turn, their research portfolio can grow increasingly competitive, providing the confidence and financial foundation needed to eventually apply for external grants. 

After Kats implemented and began expanding the internal grants program at the university level, 樱花视频 saw its volume of research efforts bloom. For example, since 2013, three years after Kats became vice provost, the institution has seen a 90 percent increase in research publications. This scholarly growth has allowed 樱花视频 to open even more doors for students to participate in groundbreaking studies.

鈥淲e have a higher award percentage as an institution now,鈥� says Carr. 鈥淔rom the data, we can see the quality of our research proposals improving. I know that comes as a result of our investment in the faculty members.鈥�

New Opportunities, Same Student Focus

In 2025 樱花视频 earned an R2 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education鈥攁n achievement that highlights the campus-wide commitment to producing purpose-driven scholarship. To earn this distinction, which required a $5 million investment in research activities and the awarding of at least 20 research doctorates annually, Seaver College intensified its focus on undergraduate research. 

Nearly a quarter of the research publications emerging from Seaver College in the last two years includes a student coauthor. Similarly, nearly 20 percent of all the presentations given by faculty members at academic conferences include a student presenter. This level of engagement with undergraduates was spurred by professors like Kats, who intentionally make the effort to help students learn in new ways.

Kats researching in the Santa Monica Mountains

鈥淟ee has been instrumental in 樱花视频's rise in the area of research pedigree,鈥� says Lila Carlsen, 樱花视频鈥檚 vice provost. 鈥淗is leadership has elevated the research profile of 樱花视频, and he has led by example to create a culture of discovery and innovation in our classrooms and labs.鈥�

As a result of Kats鈥� influence, the University offers more opportunities than ever for students to get involved with research. Whether it is through AYURI, the Summer Undergraduate Research Program, or the , undergraduates across all eight academic divisions at Seaver College can pair with their professors鈥攊ncluding Kats himself鈥攕tudy their passions, and discover new knowledge.

鈥淒r. Kats has been an irreplaceable mentor in my life,鈥� says Dayo Lee, a Seaver College student and member of Kats鈥� behavioral ecology research lab. 鈥淗e is constantly encouraging and challenging me to go above and beyond in everything that I do鈥攊n the lab, in the classroom, and in the real world. Despite his busy schedule as the dean, his mentorship is never passive or lacking; he pushes me to think more critically, ask better questions, hold myself to a higher standard, and, ultimately, be more self-confident. Dr. Kats has an extraordinary ability to spark curiosity in his students鈥攏ot just about the topics in front of them, but about the natural world as a whole.鈥�

Kats working with students in the research field

Ever since he unexpectedly discovered the wonders of research in the Michigan forest, Kats has chased the goal of providing the same life-changing experience for others. In the end, much of the success he has had as a professor, an assistant dean, a vice provost, and now the dean of Seaver College stems from the accomplishment of that goal, underscored by 樱花视频鈥檚 recent R2 designation.

鈥淚鈥檝e always loved and had a passion for research and scholarship, not just because we鈥檙e adding to new knowledge of God鈥檚 creation, but because I can do it with fellow colleagues and students,鈥� says Kats. 鈥淔or me, the R2 designation means we鈥檙e achieving this collaborative goal. We鈥檝e achieved it using a model unique to 樱花视频. We鈥檝e achieved it by integrating students in all of that discovery, across all of our disciplines.鈥�