Franz began his studies at the Rhino-Westphalian Technical Institute in Aachen, Germany, before moving to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to pursue graduate degrees in biological oceanography (M.S.), fisheries oceanography (Ph.D.), and biostatistics (M.S.). His research spans the ecology of marine communities, the impacts of environmental variability and climate change on the distribution, productivity and population dynamics of demersal fishes, and the biology and life history of Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida). Most of his research has focused on high-latitude regions, primarily in the Pacific Arctic. He is particularly interested in the applied aspects of his research as they relate to the management of fisheries resources in the face of global climate changes. He has long served on the Scientific and Statistical Committee that advises the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, one of 8 regional Councils in the US, on the management of fish and shellfish in federal waters off Alaska, which includ the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea. At the University of Alaska, he teaches graduate level courses in community ecology, modern applied statistics for fisheries applications, fisheries oceanography, fisheries management, and ecosystem-based fisheries management.
