Former Antioch College professor Brian W. Kot died unexpectedly on January 15, 2023. He was 48.
Kot was a globally recognized vertebrate zoologist and mammal expert who taught at Antioch from 2015 to 2020. He taught courses there ranging from Conservation Biology to the Natural History of Dinosaurs. Kot also ran Car Club at the college, where he and other students restored classic cars.
Before coming to Ohio, Kot researched whales, seals, and sea turtles at Texas A&M and wolves, moose, and deer at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
In Yellow Springs, he ran research projects on riparian mammals in Glen Helen and was a member of the Beaver Management Task Force. He also oversaw Antioch College’s zoological collection.
For the past two and a half years, Kot worked as Research Director at the Mingan Island Research Station in Quebec, Canada where he collected data on marine mammals, especially minke whales.
Kot's visitation will be held at Schoedinger Northeast, 1051 E Johnstown Road, Gahanna, Ohio, 43230 on January 23, from 10:00 a.m. to noon with a service to follow after.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that charitable donations be made in Brian’s name to a nature or animal charity of your choice.
Note: Kot was a professor and academic advisor to this reporter.
Chris Welter is a reporter and corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms.
