Dr. Joseph Trumpey

Biography

Joe Trumpey is a Professor at the University of Michigan, having joined the faculty in 1994. He holds an M.F.A. in Medical Biological Illustration from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Art Biology from Wabash College. Trumpey is the chief medical illustrator and director of graphic arts at the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He currently directs Michigan Science Art, the largest group of science illustrators working together in North America, and has completed over 5,000 illustrations, including the award-winning 17-volume Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia. His teaching focuses on experiential observation and connecting students with the natural world through an annual field-sketching course where students engage in fieldwork across various ecosystems. The course, cross-listed with the School of Natural Resources and Environment, collaborates with Michigan elementary and middle schools through the EcoExplorers Program developed by Trumpey, which emphasizes biodiversity and ecological sustainability. His creative work has been exhibited at venues across the country. Trumpey also serves as a freelance design consultant and illustrator, working with various zoos and publishing companies. He has conducted independent research in Kenya.

Research Interests