By Ronica Stromberg
Kent Fricke's career path has had the University of Nebraska–Lincoln at its trailhead and many stops along the way as he took the opportunities before him.
The wildlife research supervisor at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for the past year and a half, Fricke has been working with School of Natural Resources professors on study topics ranging from elk to prairie-chickens. He came to the position from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, where he coordinated research and surveys on small game species for more than eight years. Still, his Nebraska career path goes much further back.
He grew up at the turn of the century in small town Monroe, developing a love for hunting and fishing. He set off for the university in 2002 as a fisheries and wildlife major and never veered from it.
While an undergrad, he took part in the Wildlife Club, serving as vice president one year and president two years. He worked with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission the summer after his freshman year and, in later years, served as a university research technician for projects in Nebraska and Mississippi. After graduating, he worked with Game and Parks and Ducks Unlimited on a duck project and then Game and Parks and the university on a river otter project. He earned his master's degree in Texas and returned to Nebraska for additional graduate work before moving to Kansas.
Because the network of wildlife professionals is closeknit, Fricke said he sees himself not so much "coming back" to Nebraska but having never fully left. He found his people years ago in the Wildlife Club and has longstanding relationships in the community of wildlife professionals. He now points to working with colleagues and staff in the wildlife field as the most fulfilling part of his job.
Read more about Kent at https://snr.unl.edu/aboutus/what/newstory.aspx?fid=1300