Convergence and curation
Evolutionary biologist Kassandra Ford brings together fish research, museum collections, and mentorship at the University of Minnesota.
February 1, 2026
“Anyone can be a scientist. If you ask questions and try to find the answer, that is science.”
For evolutionary biologist Kassandra Ford, asking questions occasionally leads her to unique environments like the Amazon River or Lake Victoria, but more often it brings her to her office and lab in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota.
Ford joined the faculty in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences in 2023, where she also serves as the Bell Museum’s Curator of Fishes and Mollusks. In Ford’s Convergence Lab, she and her students explore one big question: why do animals look the way they do, and how does that shape how they live?
Specializing in the diverse world of fishes, Ford is asking questions that bring together evolution, international collaboration, and preservation of Minnesota’s natural history collections.
Finding her path to fish
Ford grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin with a passion for science, especially biology. The STEM careers she was cognizant of as a young person were doctor and veterinarian, so she began college with the intention of becoming a vet. She remembers thinking, “I like animals, I’ll be a vet. That makes perfect sense.”
But an undergraduate research experience working with zebrafish, paired with an eye-opening evolutionary biology course, changed everything.
“I learned that there are over 35,000 different species of fishes, and I was like: right there. That fits perfectly for being able to ask all of these questions.”
When she realized that her research mentors were doing science as a job, she saw a new path. “They get to ask questions, try to answer them, teach students… That was exactly what I wanted to do,” said Ford.
The Convergence Lab: How and why species evolve
Ford’s research centers on evolutionary convergence — when unrelated species independently evolve similar traits, such as flight in birds and bats. Most of her lab works on fish-based questions, from teeth and jaws to body shape and locomotion. Her background is in electric fishes, especially “weakly” electric fishes who use their electric field to sense and navigate, not to stun.
“We are trying to figure out why animals look the way they do, and how that might influence what they eat, how they eat, and how they move and interact with their environment.”
Her research provides the basic science foundation that conservation and natural resource management rely on: “You need to have that basic biology understanding to know if what you’re saying is reality.”
Partnership, not “parachute”
The electric fish species that Ford studies are native to freshwater bodies in South America and Africa. As a graduate student, she traveled to South America to sample fishes, and as a faculty member, she was excited to plan a month-long research expedition to Kenya to sample fishes from Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world. She was joined by two graduate students from the Convergence Lab, Kassi Price and RC Hoover.
Ford was intentional about doing international work in partnership with scientists and institutions in Kenya. “I wanted to try to do research in a way that was not parachute science,” said Ford. Parachute science—also called colonial or parasitic science—extracts samples and specimens without meaningful collaboration or acknowledgment of local expertise.
With the help of University of Minnesota anthropologist Kieran McNulty, Ford established a collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya. “The key thing was that I didn’t want to just swoop in and take. I wanted a working relationship,” she said.
For Hoover, the significance of that collaboration came into focus on the water. “Sitting in that boat was when it really struck me —We are actually doing this,’” he said. “We’re across the entire world, here, now, in this boat.” The team traveled by canoe along the shores of Lake Victoria, navigating river deltas and narrow channels in search of mormyrid fishes, a group of weakly electric fishes central to the lab’s research.
The expertise of local fishermen proved invaluable. While Ford’s team initially relied on Western sampling methods, they quickly learned that local knowledge was far more effective. “Almost every fish we sampled was bought from local fishermen, who simply knew where the fish were better than us,” Hoover said.
That emphasis on learning with local communities resonated with Price as well. “Despite being there for scientific purposes, each of my favorite moments were rooted in the creation of new friendships and of sharing stories,” she said. “It just so happens that collecting a good amount of data became a really good plus.”
All specimens collected during the expedition became part of Kenya’s national collection and can be loaned back to Ford’s lab for research. Since the trip, Ford’s collaborators have already conducted additional sampling on their own, continuing the partnership and expanding the scientific record.
A library of jars
While Ford’s research takes her across continents, much of her work is grounded much closer to home. As Curator of Fishes and Mollusks at the Bell Museum, Ford sees museum collections as essential scientific infrastructure. “I like to call our collection a big library of jars,” said Ford.
The Bell houses 41,000 jars, representing more than half a million fish specimens. Most live in three secure “vault” rooms in a basement of the Ecology Building on the St. Paul campus. Maintaining them is a daily responsibility: “A ton of jars with plastic lids means something is going to go wrong at some point… we’re constantly monitoring them to make sure the ethanol isn’t diminishing.” These specimens allow her lab to study species from across the world, to compare historical and modern biodiversity over time, and to even identify new species.
One technique Ford uses to answer questions about fish form and function is careful observations — and advanced imaging tools. With support from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, she is leading efforts to bring a micro-CT scanner to the Bell Museum.
Similar to a medical CT scanner, but designed for small organisms, the scanner will allow researchers to examine internal structures, such as bones and soft tissue, without damaging specimens. “We can visualize bone and tissue and ligaments and muscles and all of those types of things without needing to destroy the specimen, without needing to dissect it,” said Ford.
Interactive teaching, inspiring students
That same commitment to access and understanding carries into Ford’s teaching. Each fall, Ford teaches Ichthyology, a course that provides hands-on experiences and up close encounters with fish, including a memorable visit to the Sea Life Aquarium at the Mall of America.
“Students learn to identify fishes and describe their locomotion style… it’s more interactive than just sitting in the classroom,” said Ford. “It’s also just really fun. They’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, what is that?’ And I’m like, that’s the bowmouth guitarfish. Her name is Lola.”
Ford also opens the Bell’s collections to student organizations like the FWCB Club, giving tours and helping build fish identification skills. She has shared her expertise virtually with the CFANS community through Classes Without Quizzes, and with Minnesotans of all ages during Bell programs like SciPride, Collections Day, and Gar Week.
An advocate and ally
Like many branches of science, evolutionary biology and fisheries science have not historically been inclusive fields. Longstanding barriers rooted in sexism, racism, and persistent structural bias have shaped who has had access to careers in these disciplines.
As a Black woman faculty member, Ford is acutely aware of what it can mean to simply be visible in spaces where representation has been limited. Today, she sees her presence as both an opportunity and a responsibility to serve as a role model and mentor for the next generation of scientists.
“It can be easy to feel lonely or like the only one,” Ford said. “But you existing in that world and in that field means another person will feel more comfortable joining you.”
That belief shapes how she approaches teaching, mentoring, and outreach at CFANS and the Bell Museum. “That is what I hope that my presence in this department, in this College, at this University does,” she said. “If I can help one student of color who is thinking about studying fishes feel confident enough to give it a try, that matters.”
Lifting as she climbs
For Ford, the future of her work is rooted in both discovery and access. As the Convergence Lab grows and the Bell Museum’s new CT scanner comes online, she is excited about the kinds of questions her students will be able to ask — and answer. High-resolution digital imaging will allow her lab to compare fish from across the world without damaging rare specimens, expanding research possibilities while preserving the integrity of museum collections.
Just as important, Ford sees her role as creating pathways for students who may not yet see themselves in science. That sense of visibility and mentorship carries forward the advice Ford received from her own mentors: lift as you climb. Whether she is working in the Bell Museum vaults, teaching students how to watch fishes move, or building research partnerships across continents, Ford’s work reflects a belief that science is not only about answers, but about who gets to ask the questions in the first place.
In Grounded in Purpose, members of CFANS’ Black community share how they discovered their niche in nature. From students and postdocs to faculty and alumni, they are advancing work to preserve and protect the planet.
