Alan Jacobs Kohn (1931–2022)—Teacher, Conus Scholar, and Colleague

Alan Kohn was a remarkable malacologist with a diversity of research interests that extended beyond the study of the Conidae (Gastropoda) to a wide range of mollusks, other marine invertebrates, and the history of biology. He mentored several generations of undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior colleagues, encouraging them to go beyond what they thought they could do, and supporting them wherever their careers took them. He also taught hundreds of students over nearly four decades, including the signature Invertebrate Zoology course at the University of Washington, both on the main campus and at the Friday Harbor Laboratories. He also was an instructor in the courses of the Tropical Marine Mollusc Programme (Thailand) and the National Workshop on Marine Molluscs (Vietnam). Kohn was active in several scientific societies, serving as President of the American Malacological Union, Pacific Division; President of the American Malacological Union; and President of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. His publications focused on the ecology, systematics, and biogeography of the Conidae, using the species of that family as model organisms to provide broader insights for the study of marine life and to address key ecological and biogeographical questions. He wrote numerous book reviews that were not only informative but also helped broaden his perspective across biology and paleontology.