May 3, 2024
Ferris State honoring late professor Paul Klatt, a respected expert in birds who focused on helping students soar
Ferris State University honoring late Biological Sciences professor Paul Klatt with faculty emeriti status, celebrating his life and legacy in education at the university and beyond.
Klatt, who passed away on Saturday April 27 at age 58, taught at Ferris State for nearly 20 years serving in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education. He was a nationally recognized expert in the study of birds, a subject that captured his interest as a child.
“Dr. Klatt truly loved what he taught, and he loved sharing his passion for the subject with students so they, too, could soar,” Ferris State President Bill Pink said. “It is devastating to lose someone who was beloved on our campus and in our community. Granting emeriti status is a way to honor his life and his work, and also to inspire students and faculty members for years to come.”
Pink plans to share the announcement with graduates of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education at commencement, 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 4.
One of Klatt’s efforts beyond the classroom started in 2006 as he was looking skyward -- as he often did. This time he spotted an osprey passing over what is now the David L. Eisler Center on the Big Rapids campus.
“When I saw it was carrying a stick, I broke into a run to keep an eye on it,” Klatt said in a 2022 interview. “I saw the osprey take the stick to the top of a light pole in a parking lot near the Swan Building. At that moment, I decided there needed to be a camera to observe and display the development of our osprey.”
Working with campus and community partners, the Osprey Web Cam – found here -- is mounted on a light pole in a parking lot near the Swan Building, showing viewers activity in the large nest in real time. The camera has its own Facebook page with thousands of followers.
Klatt spoke of discovering his love of birds, calling to barred owls in the forests of Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island, Ill.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Illinois as a way to further his interest in birds -- “A big part of my focus has been ‘What is that bird doing?’”
Klatt later earned a master’s degree in Biological Sciences from Eastern Kentucky University and a doctorate in Zoology from North Dakota State University.
He came to Ferris in 2005, offering a biology class in Ornithology, among other aspects of science.
Dr. Beth Zimmer, chair of the Biological Sciences Department, said Klatt was highly respected by colleagues and appreciated by students who recognized his enthusiasm for the subject.
Klatt was a longtime member of the Academic Senate and served on the Gifts and Grants Committee for The Ferris Foundation on behalf of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education, connecting students with scholarships.
“Paul loved being here in the Science Building, and was here all the time,” she said. “He was an old-school, old-fashioned kind of guy who worked with pencil and paper. But he loved being a professor and loved working with the students, developing kind of a father figure relationship with him. He will be deeply missed.”