August 24, 2022
Shawnee State University faculty, staff, and students are mourning the loss of Dr. Jon Bedick, Professor of Biology, who passed away this week. Joining SSU in the Department of Natural Sciences in 2004, Dr. Bedick taught general biology courses and upper-level courses in herpetology, entomology, and limnology. His most popular upper-division biology course was parasitology. In 2007, he helped design the environmental track of the Bachelor of Science in Biology degree program.
“Jon was passionate about the environment and our impact upon it,” said SSU President Jeff Bauer. “His research and opinions, including those on the endangered American burying beetle, were cited in many national publications.”
Over the years at SSU, Dr. Bedick served as an advisor of the Environmental Club and organized Environmental Days on campus for a number of years. He was a supporter of shared governance and was serving as the current SEA vice-president. He served as the Department of Natural Sciences representative for the SSU University Faculty Senate and GEAC many times and served on the animal care committee. He participated in an annual summer CSI Summer Camp for the Boy Scouts at Camp Ohio where he taught entomology and herpetology to campers. In addition to being a scientist, he was an artist and exhibited his art on multiple occasions in the Appleton Gallery at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts.
“Jon engaged our students in dialogue to help them understand their role in conservation, stressed the importance of continued learning and engagement with others, and instilled an appreciation of the wonder and beauty of our world,” said SSU Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Kimberly Inman. “He did so with a boundless energy that could not be ignored. Our faculty and students are stunned at this loss and continue to mourn Jon’s untimely passing.”
Before coming to SSU, Dr. Bedick earned a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Nebraska in 2002, a BS in Biology from Northern Michigan University in 1994, and a BA in Fine Arts Painting in 1983. He served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Ghana from 1986-88.
“Jon has left a lasting impact on his profession, Shawnee State, and the people around him,” said President Bauer. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, students, fellow faculty, and all who had the fortune to know him.”