Dr. Ronald Toll is a native of New Jersey. He holds an AA degree in Biology from Union College in Cranford New Jersey and a BA in Zoology from Rutgers University. Dr. Toll has had prior experience in south Florida, having received his doctoral degree in Biological Oceanography from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami.
Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, Dr. Toll began his faculty career at the University of the South in Tennessee. He has held multiple administrative roles. He first served as Department Chair of Biology and Division Chair of Natural Sciences at Wesleyan College, Dean of the College of Science & Mathematics, and Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Corporate Relations at the University of Central Arkansas. Prior to coming to FGCU, Dr. Toll served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania.
Professionally, Dr. Toll has published over 35 peer reviewed papers and monograph contributions in the area of marine invertebrates. His work has taken him from coastal studies on the barrier islands of Georgia to his participation as Associate Director of Adjunct Sciences for the S.S. Central America Project. That expedition led to the successful recovery of nearly $300 million of gold coins and bars from a depth of 8000 feet.
He is a self proclaimed ‘car nut’ and also holds a black belt in Taekwondo. Dr. Toll serves Florida Gulf Coast University as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
