Clifford Adamchak

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Hinckley
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William Adams III

Professor • Ph.D., Australian National University, 1987
EBIO
We take an integrative approach to synthesize the ecology, physiology, and anatomy of plants in a comparative framework. We define our questions in the natural, changing environment and follow the answers to the molecular or ultra-structural level. A unifying theme of our studies is the question of how plants survive and thrive in their natural environment and what mechanisms are responsible for the acclimation and adaptation of plants to extreme environmental conditions. We identify the physiological and structural traits (and hopefully the associated genes) that protect plants, and particularly their ability to collect solar energy, perform photosynthesis, and distribute sugars throughout the plant. We compare these characteristics among plant species with contrasting growth patterns and acclimation strategies.

Nicole Addison

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Taylor

Sam Ahler

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Suding

Irfanul Alam

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Corwin

Mailor Amaral

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Kociolek
Brian

Brian Anacker

Assistant Professor Adjunct • Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2010
Research Interests My background includes a PhD in Ecology, ten years of experience conducting applied and fundamental research in academic and applied settings, and peer-reviewed papers across a diversity of topics. Areas of expertise include community ecology, experimental design of field and greenhouse studies, species distribution modeling, climate change vulnerability analyses, phylogenetic comparative methods, plant-soil feedback, and statistical modeling. In 2015, I joined the City of Boulder's Open Space and...

Carly Rae Anderson

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Tripp

William Anderson

Program: BAM • Advisor: Dr. Taylor

Christopher Arehart

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Evans

David Armstrong

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
Evolutionary biogeography; community and conservation ecology; human impact on native ecosystems; ecology, distribution, and systematics of mammals of western North America and Middle America; science in general education; history of biology, especially ecology & evolution.

Ziv Attia

Program: Postdoctoral Fellow • Advisor: Nolan Kane
EBIO

Viridiana Avila-Magana

Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: Jingchun Li
EBIO

Katie Bardsley

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Emery
Nichole Barger

Nichole Barger

Professor • Ph.D., Colorado State University, 2003
EBIO
As an aridlands ecologist, my research mission is to better understand the impacts of changing climate and land use on plant communities and soil resources in dryland ecosystems; research that crosses the boundaries of community, ecosystem, and landscape ecology. In my research program, I employ a variety of techniques in the fields of terrestrial plant ecology, soil biogeochemistry, and dendrochronology to address questions that not only further our knowledge of the structure and function of dryland ecosystems, but also address contemporary issues in sustainable restoration and management of these ecosystems.
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John Basey

Associate Teaching Professor • Ph.D., University of Nevada, Reno, 1992
EBIO

Capucine Baubin

Program: PostDoctoral Associate • Advisor: Nichole Barger
EBIO

Marc Bekoff

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
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Teresa Bilinski

Associate Teaching Professor • Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder, 2013
EBIO

Rachel Billings

Program: PhD • Advisors: Dr. Melbourne & Dr. Ray

Carl Bock

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
Grassland ecology, fire ecology, ecology of birds, conservation biology related to the above topics.

Jane H. Bock

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
The ecology and evolution of flowering plants in the Colorado Alpine and High Plains, and similar areas elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere and the reproductive patterns of flowering plants.
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M. Deane Bowers

Professor, CU Museum Curator on Entomology • Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, 1979
EBIO/ CUMNH
Research in my lab concentrates on the interactions between plants, herbivores and natural enemies. I combine both field, greenhouse and laboratory work to investigate the dynamics of these interactions from many perspectives, including behavior, evolution, ecology, physiology and plant and insect chemistry. This research has its roots and context in attempts to understand how plant-insect-natural enemy relationships evolve and are maintained.

Grace Bowman

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Evans

William Bowman

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
Plant ecology, terrestrial ecosystem science.

Michael D. Breed

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
Social behavior in insects, kin recognition system of honey bees, nest defense in honey bees, and social biology of the giant tropical ant.

Dana Calhoun

Program: Professional Research Assistant • Advisor: Pieter Johnson
EBIO

Thiago Cardoso

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Quandt

Guigi Carminati

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Martin
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Harrison Carpenter

Associate Teaching Professor • Ph.D., Michigan Technological University, 2001
EBIO
I serve as EBIO’s Advisor for Writing Instruction. Ever since I studied rhetoric in graduate school, I’ve been analyzing scientists’ writing, and researching the ways scientists’ writing changes, and is changed by, the social and political contexts in which science operates. In EBIO, I teach writing classes for undergraduate science students, coaching them to write like scientists, but also to see how writing is an essential part of scientific inquiry...

Adrian Carper

Assistant Professor Adjunct • Ph.D., Dartmouth College, 2013
EBIO/ CUMNH

Adrian Carper

Program: Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: Deane Bowers
EBIO

Casey Carroll

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Resasco

Douglas Castro

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Hinkley

Miranda Chen

Program: Professional Research Assistant • Advisor: Lisa Corwin
EBIO

Mary Childress

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Quandt

Alec Chiono

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Emery

John Clark

Greenhouse Director
EBIO
Greenhouses: 30th Street/Mackey/Ramaley
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Aaron Clauset

Assistant Professor Affiliate • Ph.D. University of New Mexico (with distinction), 2006
Computer Science
Research Interests My research program aims to identify fundamental principles of organization for complex social and biological systems, and how data and computation can be used to illuminate them. Much of this work is organized around two themes. The first theme focuses on how interactions at smaller scales within a system drive regularities and dynamics at larger scales. For instance, how does the human malaria parasite maintain the functionality of...

Taylor Cleveland

Finance and Grant Professional
EBIO
Eve Cooper

Eve Cooper

Assistant Teaching Professor • Ph.D., Australian National University, 2020
EBIO
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Lisa Corwin

Associate Professor • Ph.D., University of California Davis, 2013
EBIO
As a biology education researcher, I investigate teaching and learning in biology with the aim of understanding what drives students to persist in biology research endeavors when they encounter setbacks and how students develop creativity as biology problem solvers. As the fields of Ecology and Evolution continue to develop, the problems we tackle will become more complex and challenging and require scientists to produce increasingly innovative solutions. To best instruct the next generation of scientists, we must understand why and how scientists make progress when challenges arise and the processes through which innovative solutions are constructed. My lab aims to characterize how students develop dispositions that help them to persist through difficulty and the skills that allow them to be more creative when engaging in biology research endeavors. We use our investigations to inform the design, implementation, and evaluation of new pedagogical innovations that support persistence and creativity in biology.

William Cox

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Turetsky

Mel Cundiff

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
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Kendi Davies

Associate Professor • Ph.D., Australian National University, 2000
EBIO
I study the persistence of species and communities in heterogeneous, fragmented, and disturbed landscapes; and what determines the diversity of communities in these landscapes. I use field surveys and experiments, laboratory experiments and theory. My current research is focused on 1) how environmental heterogeneity affects invasibility and extinction in communities, and 2) how landscape spatial structure and traits of species determine the structure and dynamics of communities.

Luis de Pablo

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Dee

Rocio Deanna

Program: Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: Stacey Smith
EBIO
Laura Dee

Laura Dee

Associate Professor • Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2015
EBIO
I am an ecologist interested in the 1) preservation of natural systems and biodiversity and the 2) continued provision of benefits from nature to human well-being (i.e., ecosystem services) under global change. A main objective of my research is to inform conservation and resource management strategies for the sustainable provision of ecosystem services that will be robust to climate change. In particular, I study drivers and management of ecosystem services...

David Delaney

Program: Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: Andrew McAdam
EBIO
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Barbara Demmig Adams

Professor of Distinction • Director of EBIO Honors Program • Ph.D., University of Wurzburg, Germany
EBIO
1) Plant Physiological Ecology: We integrate the ecology, physiology, and anatomy of plants. A unifying theme of our studies is the question of how plants survive and thrive in their natural environment and what mechanisms and genes are responsible for the acclimation and adaptation of plants to extreme environmental conditions. We compare and contrast these characteristics among plant species with different growth patterns and acclimation strategies. One focus of our work is the role of plant carotenoids. 2) Human diet-gene interactions: I sponsor undergraduate independent literature research in this area that frequently leads to publication of student-authored comprehensive reviews for audiences of clinicians, nutritionists and/or teachers.

Amy Dunbar-Wallis

Program: Ph.D • Advisor: Dr. Corwin

Violet Eagle

Program: Professional Research Assistant • Advisor: Nicole Barger
EBIO

Sarah Elmendorf

Program: Research Associate • Advisor: Andrew Martin
EBIO
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Nancy Emery

Associate Professor • Ph.D., University of California at Davis
EBIO
Research in my lab works at the nexus of population biology, community ecology, and evolutionary biology to understand how plants adapt and persist in a constantly changing world. Our current research projects are specifically focused on the evolution of dispersal, habitat specialization, and phenotypic plasticity in plants that occupy variable environments. We use field experiments, genetic tools, and comparative methods and work in variety of ecosystems, including vernal pool wetlands...

Alyson Ennis

Program: Ph.D • Advisor: Dr. Barger
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Luke Evans

Assistant Professor • Ph.D., Northern Arizona University, 2012
EBIO/ IBG
Research Interests 1. Methods for estimating heritability and investigating genetic architecture of complex traits. Recent work focuses on the heritability and genetic architecture of human psychiatric disorders, including identifying genetic variants that contribute to disorder liability, understanding gene-by-environment interactions, and testing how these factors influence risk prediction. 2. Selection and adaptation. Identifying quantitative and molecular signatures of selection, both recent positive selection and purifying selection. Using large-scale reciprocal transplant experiments...
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Noah Fierer

Professor • Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2003
EBIO/ CIRES
My work intersects the disciplines of microbial ecology and terrestrial ecosystem ecology. In particular, I am interested in understanding the role of microbial communities in terrestrial ecosystem processes. Recent research focuses on the biogeography of soil microbial communities, the impacts of global change factors (N deposition, climate change) on microbial communities/processes, and the assessment of microbial community structure (including archaea, fungi, bacteria, and viruses) in soil and other microbial habitats.
Sam Flaxman

Sam Flaxman

Associate Professor Adjunct • Ph.D., Cornell University, 2006
Research Interests Modern DNA-sequencing techniques have opened doors to studying the genetics of divergence and speciation in unprecedented detail thanks to the availability of massive genomic datasets on non-model organisms. With such data, it has become increasingly clear that the genomes of diverging natural populations are genealogical mosaics — patchworks of genetic material — with some parts of the genome showing strong differentiation between populations while other parts are undifferentiated...

Sara Garcia

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Safran

Robert Gasca-Wade

Undergraduate Program Coordinator
EBIO

Vlonjat (Lonnie) Gashi

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Stock

Matthew Gebert

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Fierer

Sarah Gering

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Fierer
Mike Gil

Mike Gil

Assistant Professor • P.h.D., University of Florida, 2015
EBIO
Mike Gil Ph.D. University of Florida, 2015. CU Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow, 2020. As of Fall 2022 will be an Assistant Professor admitting graduate students. Mike is a marine ecologist, who uses a combination of field experiments and modeling to understand how individual decision-making by wild animals can shape ecosystems and how these systems respond to human-driven change. Much of his empirical work has focused on spying on fish in coral reefs, ‘Big Brother’/‘1984’-style to carefully measure (with the help of many cameras)...

Beck Glaser

Program: Professional Research Assistant • Advisor: Catherine Quandt
EBIO

Megan Greenwood

Program: MA • Advisor: Dr. Kociolek

Arthur Grupe

Program: Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: Catherine Quandt
EBIO

Andrea Halling

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Simpson & Dr. Kociolek

Jesse Harris

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Smith & Dr. Manzitto-Tripp

Janice Harvey

Assistant Greenhouse Manager
EBIO

Meghan Hayden

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Dee

Ella Henry

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Gil

Andrew Hicks

Program: Professional Research Assistant • Advisor: Kendi Davies
EBIO
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Eve-Lyn Hinckley

Associate Professor • Ph.D., Stanford University, 2009
EBIO/ CIRES
I am a biogeochemist and faculty lead of the Environmental Biogeochemistry Group. We study how people change the fundamental processes that underlie life on Earth and how those changes feed back to affect our well-being. Our projects include intensively managed ecosystems, like California croplands, where we study the fates and consequences of pesticide and nutrient applications, as well as remote regions, like the mountaintops of Colorado and Patagonia, where we...

Aaron Hirsh

Program: Research Affiliate • Advisor: Andrew Martin
EBIO

Brendan Hobart

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. McKenzie

Michael Hoffert

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Fierer
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Brent Hulke

Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 2007 • USDA Agricultural Research Service
Research Interests My lab is primarily interested in the genetic improvement of Asteraceae to benefit humanity. In collaboration with our peers in EBIO, we are developing genomics-assisted breeding techniques that allow us to balance improvement in yield and nutritional aspects of the seed oil in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), while also improving plant host antibiosis or antixenosis to insect pests, plant suitability for insect pollinators, resistance to diseases, and resistance...

Catherine Ikudaisi

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Kociolek

Peter Innes

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Nolan Kane

David Jandzik

Program: Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: David Stock
EBIO

Sierra Jech

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Barger
Pieter Johnson

Pieter Johnson

Professor of Distinction • Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 2006
EBIO
My research focuses on two pervasive and inter-related forms of biological change: disease emergence and species invasions. Our group uses long-term data, ecological experiments and modeling approaches to examine the factors that drive disease emergence and biological invasions. We work on a wide range of organisms from diverse study systems, including zooplankton, amphibians, fishes, insects and humans.

Asia Kaiser

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Resasco
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Ambika Kamath

Assistant Professor Adjunct • Ph.D., Harvard University, 2017
Animal behavior is radical because it lives so close to the center of us. Understanding how other animals live their lives shows us the forces that shape what we do and who we can be. We see ourselves reflected in how animals behave and in how we think about animals behaving. Animal behavior is about action, connection, and context—all of the most complex things. In my lab, we seek to...
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Nolan Kane

Associate Professor • Ph.D., Indiana University, 2007
EBIO
My research is at the interface of quantitative genetics, population genomics and bioinformatics. I use these tools to address key ecological and evolutionary questions from multiple perspectives with a particular interest in domestication, adaptation, conservation, and speciation. Much of my work focuses on identifying the genetic changes that underlie the formation of new species or varieties, and more generally, the genetic basis of novel phenotypes. Currently, I am using sunflowers (Helianthus), mustard (Brassica) and chocolate (Theobroma) as model systems to pursue these research questions. In all three genera, I am examining how hybridization has shaped evolution, including the origin of new hybrid species, the breeding of modern lineages of domesticated plants, and the spread of invasive species.

Katherine Kariatsumari

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. McAdam
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Caitlin Kelly

Assistant Teaching Professor • Continuing Education Liaison • Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder, 2016
EBIO

Heather Kenny

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Safran

Jennifer Kinion

Human Resources and Academic Operations Professional
Office: Ramaley N122D

Daniel Klee

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Kane
Patrick Kociolek

Patrick Kociolek

Professor • Ph.D., University of Michigan
EBIO/ CUMNH
Research Interests I am interested in the taxonomy, systematics and evolution of the diatoms. I also study biogeography, as well as applications of diatoms, such as water quality monitoring and biofuels. My current research is focused on freshwater diatoms of China, India, Russia as well as western North America. The development of internet-based research tools for diatom research is also one of my interests.
Joanna E. Lambert

Joanna E. Lambert

Professor Affiliate • Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1997
Environmental Studies
Research Interests My theoretical interests are in evolutionary, community, and nutritional ecology, with a taxonomic focus on primates and carnivores and regional focus on equatorial Africa and the western United State. Over the years, my research has developed along three complementary and synergistic trajectories, including: • nutritional ecology and the evolution of feeding adaptations, • community ecology (esp. plant-animal interactions), and • conservation biology and species resilience in anthropogenic landscapes...

Zach Laubach

Program: Postdoctoral Fellow • Advisor: Rebecca Safran
EBIO

Thomas Lemieux

Assistant Greenhouse Manager
EBIO
(303) 492 - 3387 (30th St.) (303) 492 - 7369 (MCKY) Greenhouses: 30th Street/Mackey/Ramaley

William Lewis

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
Freshwater ecology and limnology.

Henry Li

Program: M.A. • Advisor: Dr. Dee
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Jingchun Li

Associate Professor • CU Museum Curator of Invertebrates • P.hD., University of Michigan, 2014
EBIO/ CUMNH
Research interests My research program focuses on understanding drivers and processes of biodiversification. I'm especially interested in the way symbiotic interactions affect distribution, ecology and evolution of invertebrates. Our lab mainly uses diverse mollusk groups (clams, cockles, snails, etc.) to address research questions, but other systems are also being explored (protists, algae, crustaceans, etc.). We adopt a combination of phylogenetic comparative methods, geometric morphometrics, molecular evolution and bioinformatic approaches to study biodiversification at species, population, and genomic levels.

Ruiqi Li

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Li

Vivian Li

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Dee

Yan Linhart

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
Dynamics of evolutionary change in plants.

Sukuan Liu

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Smith

Joey Lodge

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Suding & Dr. Emery

Marina Lopez Pozo

Program: Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: Barbara Demmig-Adams
EBIO

Anna LoPresti

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Dee

Jacob Lowenstein

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Stock

Carol B. Lynch

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
The genetic basis of evolutionary adaptation, and brain mechanisms underlying adaptive behaviors.

Skylar Lynch

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Manzitto-Tripp
Dr Erin Manzitto-Tripp

Erin Manzitto-Tripp

Associate Professor, EBIO • Curator of Botany, CU Museum • Ph.D., Duke University, 2008
EBIO/MUSEUM
Plant Systematics, Lichenology, Tropical Botany, Biodiversity Inventory, Molecular Genetics and Evolution, Taxonomy, Nomenclature, Pollination Biology. As a biologist, I am broadly interested in the ecology and evolution of all life on Earth, particularly how natural selection and contingency have shaped the evolution of millions of “endless forms most beautiful”. As a natural historian, I am interested in patterns and trends that characterize the histories of these endless forms. Knowledge of evolutionary history is empowering, has real-world applications, and predictive potential. In attempt to understand the evolution of biodiversity and the ecological functions that biodiversity sustains, I typically focus on macroevolutionary approaches at or above the species level. Most of my research emphasizes the species-rich (>4,000 taxa) and morphologically diverse tropical plant family Acanthaceae. More recently, I have advanced research in lichenology, particularly here in the United States where amazingly, some 230 years after Bartram first traversed the Southeast, we still know incredibly little about these organisms from taxonomic and biogeographic perspectives. In addition to biodiversity research on Acanthaceae and lichens, I have maintained a long-term interest in the flora of the tepui highlands of northern South America, where I have participated in or co-led numerous plant collecting expeditions to remote locations in effort to provide baseline plant biodiversity information for these highly endemic ecosystems.
Andrew Martin

Andrew Martin

Professor • Ph.D., University of Hawaii, 1992
EBIO
Research projects include the landscape, phylo-, population or conservation genetics of a wide diversity of organisms focused mainly on understanding how individuals use the landscape, how to re-establish species extirpated from their native range, and how to use the principles of evolution to restore high fitness in populations that may harbor a high frequency of fixed or segregating deleterious alleles. In addition, we pursue discipline-based education research in biology.
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Stephanie Mayer

Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 1989 • Teaching Professor Emerita
EBIO
I teach and/or coordinate the labs for the following plant biology courses: EBIO 4500, Plant Biodiversity and Evolution; EBIO 4510, Plant Anatomy; and EBIO 4520, Plant Systematics.

Kathryn Mazalova

Program: M.A. • Advisor: Dr. Kamath
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Andrew McAdam

Associate Professor • EBIO Department Chair • Ph.D, University of Alberta, 2003
EBIO
I am an evolutionary ecologist interested in contemporary natural selection and microevolution in wild animals. A major goal of the research in my lab is to examine the ecological circumstances associated with short-term evolutionary changes. Social interactions between family members and neighbors often have important consequences for individual phenotypes and fitness, so my lab is currently particularly interested in maternal effects and other social effects on adaptation in nature. I pursue these research goals by studying systems that are simple enough to identify and manipulate key ecological agents of evolutionary change, while still maintaining the inherent complexities of evolution in the natural world. Much of the research in my group has been part of a collaborative, long-term study of wild red squirrels in the Yukon Territory of Canada ( www.redsquirrel.ca ), but we have also studied deer mice, an invasive zooplankton species (Bythotrephes longimanus), fruit flies, and will soon start some laboratory research on Syrian hamsters.
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Christy M McCain

Professor • CU Museum Curator of Vertebrates • Ph.D., University of Kansas, 2003
EBIO/ CUMNH
I am interested in the mechanisms producing and maintaining patterns of species distribution, abundance, and diversity. To address these processes, I consider three levels of ecological organization to be equally important: species-level autecology, population-level dynamics, and community-level processes and interactions. My research so far has highlighted small mammal range dynamics, abundance patterns across altitudinal ranges, and species richness patterns along latitudinal and elevational gradients. I particularly exploit mountain systems as natural experiments to look at how evolutionary history, ecological processes, and future climate change influence species populations. My overarching goal is to strive for quantitative, general theories applicable to both the advancement of ecology and the improvement of our conservation strategies. I use multiple tools at various spatial scales to address research questions, including field studies, synthesis of collection and historical data, comparative analyses, null models, GIS, and simulation modeling.
Mikki

Mikki McComb-Kobza

Assistant Professor Adjunct • Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University 2008
Research Interests I am an applied conservation biologist with over 20 years of experience researching endangered species and advancing marine ecosystem restoration. My primary research focuses upon the biology, behavior, abundance, and movement of sharks using novel methodologies. I use a multiple-stakeholder strategy to advance science-based conservation initiatives across disciplines. I have led and participated in 40 marine research expeditions, including the regions of Darwin, Cape Town, Manaus, Hong Kong,...

Rebecca McHugh

Program: BAM • Advisor: Dr. Dee
Val McKenzie

Valerie McKenzie

Associate Professor • EBIO Graduate Program Director • Ph.D., University of California Santa Barbara, 2005
EBIO
My research interests combine the fields of parasitology, disease ecology, conservation biology, and herpetology. I work in a variety of places ranging from locally in Colorado to tropical rainforests. Many of my current projects involve fieldwork, labwork, meta-analyses, and applied conservation activities. Parasites and pathogens are ubiquitous and rival the diversity of free-living organisms on the planet. As global environments are changing rapidly, we are beginning to observe increases in infectious disease prevalence in both humans and wildlife. In order to understand patterns of emerging disease across the diverse spectrum of parasitic organisms, we must integrate several disciplines and ask questions at scales ranging from genetic and population levels to community and ecosystem levels. I am most interested in understanding the ways in which anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., land use, invasive species, wetland management) affect the parasites and pathogens of humans and wildlife. In the realm of conservation biology, the goal of my research is to identify key factors that lead to shifts in the abundance and distribution of parasites and pathogens in order to offer ecologically informed solutions to mitigate disease threats to vulnerable wildlife species.
Dan Medeiros

Daniel Meulemans Medeiros

Associate Professor • Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 2003
EBIO
In my lab, we are interested in understanding the developmental evolution of our own subphylum, the vertebrates. To do this, we study developmental gene expression, regulation, and function in three model organisms; lamprey, amphioxus, and zebrafish. Lamprey, a jawless vertebrate, is the most basal vertebrate amenable to experimental manipulation at embryonic stages. Amphioxus is the most basal extant chordate and is thought to closely resemble the invertebrate ancestor of the vertebrates. Zebrafish, a teleost, is one of the most experimentally tractable vertebrate model systems. By comparing lamprey and amphioxus development with that of zebrafish, and other vertebrates like frog and salamander, we aim to reconstruct the genetic and developmental changes underlying the earliest events in vertebrate evolution.

Angela Medina Garcia

Program: Research Affiliate • Advisor: Rebecca Safran
EBIO

Annie Meeder

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Suding

Manuela Mejia

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Corwin
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Brett Melbourne

Professor • Ph.D., Australian National University, 2001
EBIO
In my lab we use mathematics, computers, and data collected in the field or experimental model systems to figure out why species go extinct and how best to maintain biodiversity.

Christina Melie

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Quandt

Thomas Merchant

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Suding

Loren Merrill

Program: Research Affiliate • Advisor: Rebecca Safran
EBIO

Hannah Miller

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Hinckley

Jeffry B. Mitton

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
My primary research interests focus on the evolutionary forces that influence genetic variation within and among populations.

Russell K. Monson

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
Plant physiological ecology; forest-atmosphere exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone and energy; environmental and physiological control over the emission of isoprene and other biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from forest ecosystems and the relationship of VOC emissions to atmospheric chemistry; coupling of biogeochemical cycles, especially those involving water, carbon and nitrogen; the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in plants.

Kathryn Naherny

Program: MA • Advisor: Dr. Ramsey

Harvey Nichols

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
Paleo-ecology, arctic and alpine environments, and global change, with emphasis on pollen analysis (palynology) as a method of reconstructing past vegetation and climate to understand the present environment and to act as background for current environmental concerns.
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Isabella Oleksy

Assistant Professor • P.h.D., Colorado State University, 2019
EBIO/ INSTAAR
The Oleksy limnology & biogeochemistry lab investigates the impact of global environmental change on aquatic ecosystems in mountainous regions. Topics include the interactive effects of nitrogen deposition and warming, the impact of wildfire on water quality, and the consequences of changing ice phenology on lake ecosystem ecology.

Charlie Oliver

Program: MA • Advisor: Dr. Schmidt

Leonardo Orozco

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Kane

Sara Padula

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Taylor

Anna Paraskevopoulos

Program: Ph.D • Advisor: Dr. Resasco

Ajay Patel

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Taylor
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Orit Peleg

Professor Affiliate • Ph.D., ETH Zurich, 2012
BioFrontiers
I am a broadly trained physicist with a passion for living systems. My research is aimed at understanding how organisms buffer themselves against large environmental fluctuations and accommodate adaptation over a wide range of length and time scales. This includes protein assemblies that remain intact under varying external mechanical and chemical stimuli, beetles that navigate using volatile celestial cues, and honeybee clusters that change their morphology to both withstand mechanical...

Airy Peralta

Program: PhD • Advisors: Dr. Davies & Dr. Ray

Candice Perrotta

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Quandt

Stephanie Polutchko

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Adams and Dr. Demmig-Adams

Graydon Prosser Hidalgo

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Safran

Jenna Pruett

Program: Postdoctoral Fellow • Advisor: Ambika Kamath
EBIO
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Alisha Quandt

Assistant Professor • Ph.D. Oregon State University, 2014
EBIO
Research Interests I'm interested in all aspects of fungal biology. My research is focused on addressing three fundamental questions in mycology: (1) How do fungi evolve the ability to switch hosts or adapt to utilize various substrates? (2) How do fungi interact with other microorganisms? and (3) Where are potential unexplored habitats of novel fungal diversity? Genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics, phylogenetics, and molecular community ecology are tools that I combine with...

Ruth Quispe Pilco

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Schmidt

Advyth Ramachandran

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Suding
Sammy Ramsey

Samuel Ramsey

Assistant Professor • PhD from University of Maryland
EBIO/ BioFrontiers
Research Interests Entomology, biology of bees, parasites and symbiosis, science communication Selected Publications Ramsey, S.D., Ochoa, R., Bauchan, G., Gulbronson, C., Mowery, J.D., Cohen, A., Lim, D., Joklik, J., Cicero, J.M., Ellis, J.D. and Hawthorne, D., 2019. Varroa destructor feeds primarily on honey bee fat body tissue and not hemolymph . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(5), pp.1792-1801. Ramsey, S. and Losey, J.E., 2012. Why is Harmonia axyridis...

Lindsey Ray

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Medeiros

Laura Rea

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Hinckley
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Stephanie Renfrow

Assistant Teaching Professor • M.A. in Science Writing, Johns Hopkins University 1998
EBIO
As a writing instructor with EBIO, I focus on helping students deepen their science and scientific communications skills. My central interest is in helping undergraduate students hone their writing and presenting skills, as well as gain experience with real-world genres that typify the professional efforts of scientists. I also enjoy helping graduate students on an individual basis with specific projects and communications skills. In addition to my teaching background, my...
Julian Resasco Headshot

Julian Resasco

Assistant Professor • Ph.D., University of Florida, 2013
EBIO
The unifying theme of our lab's research is to understand how human stressors to the environment affect biodiversity and how to mitigate those impacts. These stressors include changes to landscapes, climate change, and species introductions. We often study spatial and temporal dynamics and use field studies at large spatial and long temporal scales to test theory and link ecological pattern with process. Areas of research include landscape connectivity/corridors, habitat fragmentation, plant-pollinator networks, insect community ecology, stable isotope ecology, and conservation biology. We work on a variety of taxa but have a particular fondness for insects. Settings for our field work include the longleaf pine ecosystem of the southeastern US and forests and meadows of the Rocky Mountains.
alex holding an owl

Alex Rose

Assistant Professor Affiliate • Ph.D. UC Santa Cruz
Dr. Alexandra Rose is the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research site (NWT LTER). She also works for CU Science Discovery as a High School Programs manager and Broader Impacts Liason. Her emphasis in both of these positions is science communication, and engaging public audiences of all ages in scientific research. Alex has a diverse professional and educational background. She has a PhD in...

Kaylee Rosenberger

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Melbourne

Samantha Rothberg

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Gil

Rachel Rubin

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Schmidt

Jessica Rush

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Turetsky
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Rebecca Safran

Professor • Ph.D., Cornell University, 2005
EBIO
Ecological and Evolutionary Connections Between Animal Behavior and Population Biology. As a behavioral and evolutionary ecologist, I am fascinated by relationships among different scales of biological organization. Questions about individual variation (behavior, morphology, and physiology) and population patterns (social and genetic structure, population stability, species boundaries) are usually addressed in isolation from one another, but it is the relationship between these two levels that provides powerful predictive information about the causes and consequences of large scale patterns, such as the generation and loss of biodiversity. To make explicit links between behavioral ecology and population biology, I test theory-driven hypotheses related to both the function and proximate mechanisms that underlie individual behavior and use multi-level statistical models to explore the relationship between individual-level variation and larger-scale patterns within and among populations. I am currently most busy working on reproductive behavior and its consequences for population structure using the Hirundo rustica species complex as an interesting study system. This project is a large, international collaboration with many research opportunities for students at all stages of their careers.

Kristina Schauer

Budget and Finance Operations Manager
EBIO
Office: Ramaley N122A

Drew Schield

Program: Postdoctoral Fellow • Advisor: Rebecca Safran
EBIO
Steve Schmidt

Steven K. Schmidt

Professor • Ph.D., Cornell University, 1986
EBIO
Microbial ecology, biogeochemical cycles, and plant-microbe interactions. Theoretical (modeling) and experimental approaches are used to study the ecology of microorganisms in natural and disturbed systems. Active areas of research include: (1) microbial biogeochemistry of ecosystems in Colorado, Peru and Costa Rica, (2) the role of mycorrhizal fungi in the ecology of wild plants, and (3) biogeography and biodiversity of previously unknown microbial groups.

Kyle Schutz

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Quandt

Zachary Schwartz

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Hinckley
Warren

Warren Sconiers

Associate Teaching Professor • Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 2014
EBIO
As an REU studying invasive plant interactions at University of California, Irvine, Dr. Sconiers worked with Dr. Katharine Suding studying the interactions between plant phenology and changes in nitrogen, snowpack, and temperature. Dr. Sconiers completed his PhD in Entomology at Texas A&M with Micky Eubanks and was trained as an insect ecologist, studying the effects of drought stress and changes in nutritional plant physiology and insect species composition. This is...

Joshua Seabaugh

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Melbourne

Timothy Seastedt

Professor Emeritus
EBIO
Terrestrial ecosystem studies, including factors influencing biodiversity, productivity, soil carbon dynamics, decomposition and mineralization processes, and how these processes affect ecosystem services.

Micaela Seaver

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Corwin

Georgy Semenov

Program: Research Associate • Advisor: Scott Taylor
EBIO

Maya Shaulsky

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Li

Miranda Sinnott-Armstrong

Program: Postdoctoral Fellow • Advisor: Stacey Smith
EBIO

Mandy Slate

Program: Postdoctoral Fellow • Advisor: Nichole Barger
EBIO
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Stacey D. Smith

Associate Professor • Ph.D., University of Wisconsin Madison, 2006
EBIO
Evolutionary genetics, molecular phylogenetics, plant-pollinator interactions, comparative methods. My lab studies the evolution and genetics of floral diversification, with a focus on the tomato family, Solanaceae. We use molecular phylogenies and statistical comparative methods to infer the evolutionary history of floral traits and to test ecological factors that may have shaped their evolution. We also employ molecular, genetic, and biochemical approaches to understand the mechanisms underlying floral trait differences across species. Recent work has focused on the evolution of flower color, as this trait has a relatively simple genetic basis and is ecologically important. Results of our studies suggest that flower color changes can involve a range of genetic mechanisms (e.g., gene deletion, changes in gene expression, functional evolution) and may often be driven by competition for pollinators among sympatric species.

Pacifica Sommers

Program: Research Affiliate • Advisor: Steve Schmidt
EBIO

Se Jin Song

Program: Research Affiliate • Advisor: Val McKenzie
EBIO

Gladiana Spitz

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. McAdam
Ryan St Laurent

Ryan St Laurent

Assistant Professor, CU Museum Curator of Entomology • Ph.D., University of Florida, 2021
EBIO/ CUMNH
Research Interests: I am an evolutionary biologist and entomologist interested in butterfly and moth life history evolution, systematics, and taxonomy. Considering ongoing biodiversity loss and how little we know about the evolutionary relationships and life history strategies of most insects; my lab will work to explore non-model insect classification and document and understand insect-plant relationships that have received little attention and are in dire need of targeted study. The goal...

Maria Stager

Program: Postdoctoral Fellow • Advisor: Scott Taylor
EBIO

Elias Stallard-Olivera

Program: Ph.D • Advisor: Dr. Fierer

Jared Stewart

Program: Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: Barbara Demmig-Adams
EBIO
David Stock

David W. Stock

Associate Professor • Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1992
EBIO
Genetic basis of morphological evolution using the vertebrate dentition as a model system. Comparative analysis of gene action in tooth development of several species of teleost fishes (including the zebrafish) to investigate mechanisms of evolutionary change in tooth shape, location, and number. Additional interests include evolution of multi-gene families and phylogeny of fishes.
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Katharine Suding

Professor of Distinction • Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1999
EBIO
Plant Community Ecology; Restoration, Invasion biology, Environmental change, Conservation I am a plant community ecologist working at the interface of ecosystem, landscape and population biology. My goal is to apply cutting-edge “usable” science to the challenges of restoration, species invasion, and environmental change. My research group and I work with a range of conservation groups, government agencies and land managers to provide evidence-based solutions that take into account biodiversity, human well-being, and management opportunities. We employ a combination of long-term monitoring, modeling and experimental approaches in settings that range from alpine tundra to oak woodlands to grasslands. Common themes include plant-soil feedbacks, functional traits, species effects on ecosystem processes, and non-linear and threshold dynamics.

Derek Sweeney

Assistant Teaching Professor
EBIO

Andy Tan

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Li

Lincoln Taylor

Program: Ph.D • Advisor: Dr. Ramsey & Dr. Resasco
Scott Taylor headshot

Scott Taylor

Associate Professor • Director, Mountain Research Station • Ph.D., Queen's University, 2011
EBIO
Hybridization, speciation, evolutionary ecology, and population genomics (primarily of birds). My research applies genomics and field experiments to natural hybrid zones and closely related taxa in order to investigate the architecture of reproductive isolation—the hallmark of speciation—and the genetic bases of traits relevant to speciation. This research also provides insight into the impacts of anthropogenic change, including climate change, on species distributions, interactions, and evolution. Selected Publications Semenov G, Linck...
Merritt R. Turetsky in a grassy field

Merritt R. Turetsky

Professor • Ph.D., University of Alberta, 2002
EBIO
I am an ecosystem ecologist with interests in plant ecology, biogeochemistry, and global change. My work contributes to theoretical predictions of ecosystem structure and function, but also applies to regulation of carbon in a global change world. I am passionate about northern ecosystems and the people who depend on them. My students and I use a variety of approaches, from large-scale manipulations to laboratory experiments and paleoecological reconstructions, to understand the resilience of communities and ecosystems to environmental change. We tend to work on a variety of research issues including permafrost degradation and changing wildfire regimes that are important to global change and environmental policy arenas.

Daniela Vergara

Program: Research Associate • Advisor: Nolan Kane
EBIO

Andrew Veselka

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Davies

Ellen Waddle

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Doak
Brian

Bryan Wallace

Assistant Professor Adjunct • Ph.D., Drexel University, 2005
Research Interests I am a bilingual (English and Spanish) wildlife ecologist specializing in conservation biology and protected resources management. My work integrates primary research, collaboration, and facilitation to assess how people affect natural resources and to develop strategies for resource management within limited budgets. I have extensive experience in collaborative projects dealing with wildlife monitoring research and management in international (mainly Latin America) and US geographies. During my career across...

Emily Warschefsky

Program: Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: Nolan Kane
EBIO

Jacob Watts

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Manzitto-Tripp

Hailey Webb

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Turetsky
Carol Wessman

Carol A. Wessman

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1987 • Professor Emerita
EBIO
My research program seeks to gain insights on the understanding of feedback dynamics between ecosystem structure and function, and the influence of disturbance on trajectories of ecosystem processes. My approach involves field studies, remote sensing methodologies investigating temporal and spatial heterogeneity in ecosystem properties, and landscape and ecosystem modeling. My work incorporates theory in ecosystem and landscape ecology, with a recent emphasis on resilience and complex system theory. Current research projects include: biogeochemical dynamics of woody plant encroachment in the US Southwest, resilience of forest ecosystems under compound disturbance, and social-ecological systems in urban environments.

Aaron Westmoreland

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Emery, Dr. Evans, Dr. Flaxman

Caitlin White

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Suding

Kristin White

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Kane

Claire Winfrey

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Resasco & Dr. Fierer

Richelle Yunger

Program: Professional Research Assistant • Advisor: Andrew McAdam
EBIO

Megan Zabinski

Program: Ph.D. • Advisor: Dr. Bowers

Mobeen Zahid

Program: PhD • Advisor: Dr. Fierer

Leana Zoller

Postdoctoral Associate • Advisor: Julian Resasco
EBIO