J. Drew Lanham

About J. Drew

• I was born and raised in Edgefield, South Carolina, where I was surrounded by nature.
• I became interested in birds early on and wanted to study zoology and ornithology, but I was discouraged by people telling me that Black kids don’t do that.
• After receiving a full ride engineering scholarship, I decided that going to school for engineering was the best choice.
• I spent three and a half years studying engineering and even had an engineering internship that paid me really well, but I hated it.
• I finally made the decision to change my major and earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in zoology, which I was much more passionate about.
• I also went on to earn my doctorate in forest wildlife.
• I’ve been a professor of wildlife ecology at Clemson University, my alma mater, for over 25 years now.
• In addition to my work as a professor, I’m also a published author writing about my experiences as a birder and hunter.