EEB Professor, Morgan Tingley, featured in a recent article by the National Audubon Society
EEB Professor, Morgan Tingley, featured in a recent article by the National Audubon Society, As Spring Shifts Earlier, "Many Migrating Birds Are Struggling to Keep Up".
Recent Publication by Postdoctoral Fellow, Monte Neate-Clegg and Professor Morgan Tingley is Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
A recent publication in Ecography, "Afromontane understory birds increase in body size over four decades", by Postdoctoral Fellow, Monte Neate-Clegg (lead author) and Professor Morgan Tingley was recently featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "As the climate warms, birds in the East Africa mountains are getting bigger".
“Our study is one of the first to find trends of increasing body mass and to find them so pervasively across the community,” said UCLA ecologist Monte Neate-Clegg, the paper’s lead author. “This is the first time that's been found in the tropics and possibly in the world.”
EEB Professor Dan Blumstein Publishes Article in Opinion section of msnbc.com
EEB Professor Dan Blumstein publishes article, "I’m a biologist. Humans can learn a lot from groundhogs — and not just on Feb. 2." on msnbc.com
Recent Study Published in late 2023 by Professor Dan Blumstein is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Recent Study Published in late 2023 in Evolutionary Applications, "Biological lessons for strategic resistance management" by Professor Dan Blumstein and lab members Xochitl Ortiz Ross and Nurit Kat is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "How antibiotic-resistant bacteria can teach us to modify behavior".
A 2018 publication by Professor Pamela Yeh is featured in a recent Nature article
A 2018 publication by Professor Pamela Yeh is featured in a recent Nature article, "Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat — is climate change making it worse?".
"In a 2018 study, Yeh and her colleagues exposed E. coli, which grew best at 41 °C, either to a temperature of 44 °C or to a range of 12 antibiotics (deliberately given at low doses to inhibit but not kill all the bacteria)6. The researchers tracked how the bacteria responded to these stressors, and found that patterns of gene expression changed in similar ways for both temperature and antibiotic type. In both cases, bacteria responded to the stress by producing more ‘heat-shock’ proteins. These help other proteins to fold correctly and apparently also help bacteria to survive antibiotic attack, says Yeh. “We sometimes call antibiotics that mimic [the effects of] hot conditions ‘hot’ drugs,” she says."
Recent co-authored publication by Distinguished Research Professor, Thomas Smith, is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
A recent co-authored publication by Distinguished Research Professor, Thomas Smith, in Science, "Genomic analyses reveal poaching hotspots and illegal trade in pangolins from Africa to Asia" is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Breakthrough reveals poaching hotspots, trade routes of most trafficked endangered mammal".
EEB Ph.D. Candidate, Ashlyn Ford, named a Taylor M. Brown Memorial Award Recipient
The Taylor M. Brown Memorial Award was established in honor of biosciences graduate student Taylor M. Brown. Taylor was a long-standing and vibrant member of the UCLA community. As a UCLA undergraduate, she majored in Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, receiving her B.S. in 2015. She then joined the Immunity, Microbes, and Molecular Pathogenesis Home Area in the Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Program for her Ph.D., where she pursued her interest in understanding host-pathogen interactions. Taylor was deeply committed to increasing diversity in the biosciences, serving as an active member of the Association for Multi-Ethnic Bioscientists’ Advancement (AMEBA) and the UCLA SACNAS Chapter (SACNAS@UCLA). She was passionate about teaching, mentoring, and outreach. Her kindness and compassion made a lasting and widespread impact on the UCLA biosciences community. Taylor’s many accomplishments, her promise as a scientist, and her strong dedication to diversifying the biosciences were recognized by her selection in 2018 as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellow.
The Taylor M. Brown Award recognizes exceptional Ph.D. students in the biosciences who reflect the characteristics that made Taylor such a special member of the UCLA community. The awardees are well-rounded, with strong interpersonal skills and broad interests, and are passionate about mentorship, leadership, teaching, and science. They are highly engaged with the UCLA biosciences community and have a powerful commitment to increasing diversity in the biosciences.
Ashlyn Ford, 2023 Awardee
Ashlyn Ford is a Ph.D. Candidate in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology in the lab of Dr. Peggy Fong. Ashlyn’s thesis research is focused on understanding coral ecology and coral host-parasite interactions in Moorea, French Polynesia. Ashlyn has been an event coordinator and mentor for the UCLA EEB Peer Mentorship Program (PMP), an event coordinator for the UCLA EEB Graduate Student Association (GSA), and organizer of the UCLA EEB Department Seminar Committee. Ashlyn is a mentor for Black Women in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Science (BWEEMS); Black in Marine Science (BIMS); the UCLA Graduate Research Mentorship (GRM) program; and the UCLA Diversity Project UC-HBCU Initiative. Ashlyn is the recipient of a UC Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative Fellowship.
For more information on this award and the recipients, please visit UCLA Graduate Programs in Bioscience.
EEB PhD student Chris Sayers' study is featured on the UCLA Newsroom
EEB PhD student, Chris Sayer who was lead on a recent publication, "Mercury in Neotropical birds: a synthesis and prospectus on 13 years of exposure data", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "What’s behind the toxic levels of mercury in tropical birds? Gold mining, study shows".
Professor Noa Pinter-Wollman was a guest on KCRW's "Greater LA" show
Professor Noa Pinter-Wollman was a guest on KCRW's "Greater LA" show, "Can studying ants help humans eliminate traffic congestion?".
Professor Daniel Blumstein's paper is awarded the Elsevier Atlas award for the World Animal Protection Day
Professor Daniel Blumstein’s paper, The ethics of intervening in animal behaviour for conservation, has been awarded the Elsevier Atlas award for the World Animal Protection Day! It was selected in recognition of its contribution to the UN SDG 15: Life on Land. The article was nominated among thousands of recently published articles and is featured as a winner on the Atlas website.
Professor Lawren Sack named among the world’s most influential researchers in the sciences and social sciences
The Highly Cited Researchers list, compiled annually by analytics firm Clarivate, identifies scholars whose work has been cited most often in papers published by other researchers in their fields over the past decade. Those chosen for the 2023 list have authored studies that rank in the top 1% in the number of scholarly citations worldwide.
“The Highly Cited Researchers list identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers at UCLA whose significant and broad influence in their fields translates to impact in their research community and innovations that make the world healthier, more sustainable and more secure,” said David Pendlebury, head of research analysis at Clavariate’s Institute for Scientific Information. “Their contributions resonate far beyond their individual achievements, strengthening the foundation of excellence and innovation in research.”
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Dan Blumstein provides Insight on CalTrans' World's Largest Wildlife Crossing
In a KTLA-5 news article, "Caltrans provides update on world’s largest wildlife crossing", Professor Dan Blumstein provides insight on their efforts.
“We know there are costs of isolation,” said Dan Blumstein, a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. “We mess with mother nature at our own risk and the solutions are often expensive, but wildlife crossings and wildlife corridors has been very successful in other places, and I expect at some level, will be successful here.”
For full article, please visit KTLA-5 News.
EEB PhD student Chris Sayers leads study on how tropical gold mining leads to mercury accumulation in birds
EEB PhD student, Chris Sayers, leads study on how tropical gold mining leads to mercury accumulation in birds.
Study was highlighted by Reuters, "Gold mining spreads mercury to tropical birds, study says".
Professor Lawren Sack provides insight on new research for Science News
Science News recently released an article, "Salty sweat helps one desert plant stay hydrated". The article highlights a recent publication in PNAS, "Harvesting of aerial humidity with natural hygroscopic salt excretions" by materials scientist Marieh Al-Handawi of New York University Abu Dhabi. UCLA EEB's own, Professor Lawren Sack, who was not involved with the study, provided insight on the research and is quoted, "This paper provides a new level of detailed understanding of how some desert plants can both excrete salt and use it to take up water from the air into leaves."
For full article, please visit, Science News.
Distinguished Professor Peter Narins is awarded the 2023 Northwestern's Hugh Knowles Prize for Distinguished Achievement
Distinguished Professor of integrative biology and physiology and of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA, Peter Narins, is awarded Northwestern's Hugh Knowles Prize for Distinguished Achievement. The Hugh Knowles Prize for Distinguished Achievement is awarded periodically to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to research or clinical practice in the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of hearing disorders. Nominations for the prize may be submitted at any time to Nina Kraus, chairman of the selection committee.
Professor Narins will be providing his Knowles Prize lecture, "High-End Audio: Neuroethology of Ultrasonic Communication in Amphibians”, on October 30th. For the full article, please visit "Expert on frog hearing to deliver Hugh Knowles Lecture".
Former EEB PhD Students and Professors Bob Wayne and Kirk Lohmueller's recent publication featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Former EEB PhD students, Sergio Nigenda-Morales and Meixi Lin (Co-lead authors), along with Jacqueline Robinson, Chris Kyriazis, and Annabel Beichman, and Professors Bob Wayne and Kirk Lohmueller's recent publication in Nature Communications, "The genomic footprint of whaling and isolation in fin whale populations" is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Whaling wiped out far more fin whales than previously thought".
Former EEB Postdoctoral Fellow and First Author, Jennifer Smith, and co-authors, EEB Professor Michael Alfaro and EEB Adjunct Professor Barbara Natterson-Horowitz's recent publication is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Former EEB Postdoctoral Fellow and first author, Jennifer Smith, and co-authors, EEB Professor Michael Alfaro and EEB Adjunct Professor Barbara Natterson-Horowitz's recent publication in Philosophical Transactions o the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, "Mechanisms of equality and inequality in mammalian societies" is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Inequality not inevitable among mammals, study shows".
La Kretz Postdoc Olivia Sanderfoot and EEB Professor Morgan Tingley Quoted by the NY Times
La Kretz Postdoc Olivia Sanderfoot and EEB Professor Morgan Tingley Quoted by the NY Times, "How Megafires Are Remaking the World.
EEB Postdoc, Robert Fofrich, of the Ordway lab recently named an IDRE Postdoctoral Fellowship
UCLA's Institute for Digital Research and Education (IDRE) recently awarded their 2023-2024 IDRE Postdoctoral Fellowships. The IDRE Fellows will have direct access to and interact with the Research Technology Groups in the Office of Advanced Research Computing, as well as relevant IDRE affiliated faculty and researchers. EEB's own, Robert Fofrich of the Ordway lab was awarded one of the five fellowships this year.
For more information about this, please visit: UCLA IDRE.
Professors Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Brad Shaffer, and Peter Narins Recently Inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Emeritus Professors Blaire Van Valkenburgh and Peter Narins, as well as Professor Brad Shaffer, who were elected in 2022, were recently honored and inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAA&S). The ceremony took place on September 30th, 2023 at the Kresge Auditorium at MIT, in Cambridge, MA. The AAA&S was founded during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, and other prominent “scholar-patriots” who contributed to the establishment of the new nation, its government, and its Constitution. Some of the members are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, Nelson Mandela, Mary Leakey, Martin Luther King, Jr., and this year’s inductees Glenn Close, Laurence Fishburne, Claudine Gay, and Walter Allen.
Recent Publication by EEB Postdoc Camila Medeiros, Professor Lawren Sack and team, "Predicting plant species climate niches on the basis of mechanistic traits" featured in UCLA newsroom and other News Outlets
Recent publication by EEB Postdoc Camila Medeiros, Professor Lawren Sack and team, "Predicting plant species climate niches on the basis of mechanistic traits" is featured in the UCLA newsroom, "How to save plants from climate change? Just ask them".
The research is also featured in additional news outlets:
-LA Times, "Plants have something to say about climate. A new study unlocks their ‘language’"
-ScienMag, "How to save plants from climate change? Just ask them"
EEB PhD Student, Joanna Wu, interviewed for New York Times on "Why ‘the most misunderstood birds in North America’ are female"
EEB PhD Student, Joanna Wu, interviewed for New York Times on "Why ‘the most misunderstood birds in North America’ are female". For the full article, please visit the New York Times.
Recent Publication in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B is reported by Spectrum News 1
EEB Graduate Student, Sean O'Fallon, lead author, and EEB Professor, Noa Pinter-Wollman's recent publication in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, "Foraging behaviour affects nest architecture in a cross-species comparison of ant nests", is picked up by Spectrum News 1, "Ants could hold key to solving LA's traffic troubles".
EEB Graduate Student, Sean O'Fallon, lead author, and EEB Professor, Noa Pinter-Wollman's recent publication is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
EEB Graduate Student, Sean O'Fallon, lead author, and EEB Professor, Noa Pinter-Wollman's recent publication in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, "Foraging behaviour affects nest architecture in a cross-species comparison of ant nests", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Could insights from ants help people build better transportation networks?"
Recent publication, with EEB Ph.D. Eleanor Diamant as lead author, and EEB professors, Dan Blumstein and Pamela Yeh as co-authors, is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Recent publication, "Urban birds become less fearful following COVID-19 reopenings", with recent EEB Ph.D Eleanor Diamant as lead author, and EEB professors, Dan Blumstein and Pamela Yeh as co-authors, is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Birds living at UCLA were less afraid of humans after the pandemic closure".
Project Phoenix, a joint project from UCLA and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Directed by Olivia Sanderfoot of the Tingley Lab, Continues to Trend through Multiple News Outlets
Project Phoenix, a new initiative recently launched by UCLA and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, directed by Olivia Sanderfoot a La Kretz Center Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Tingley Lab, trends among multiple news outlets this summer.
"Inspiring Stories: Olivia Sanderfoot"- VoyageLA
"How do smoke, smog affect birds? New initiative invites Californians to help find out"-UCLA Newsroom
"How smoky air is affecting birds in Minnesota"-Minneapolis Star Tribune
"It’s smoky outside. How are birds and other wildlife coping?"-Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Birds and other wildlife also affected by wildfire smoke"-Wisconsin State Journal
"How Do Wildfires in Canada’s Boreal Forest Affect Birds Across the Continent?"-Audubon Magazine
"Wildfire smoke affects birds too. Here’s how you can help"-National Geographic
"Clouds of wildfire smoke are toxic to humans and animals alike"-Popular Science
"For birds, wildfires pose a hazard — but also opportunity"-Ottawa Citizen
"How Wildfire Smoke Affects Wildlife—and Your Pets"-Time Magazine
Science Times Special Birding Edition-New York Times
The Congo Basin Institute (CBI) collaborates with ESRI
Esri, a pioneer in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has teamed up with the Congo Basin Institute to preserve the extraordinary biodiversity of this vital rainforest and to give voice to the local knowledge of the Baka. This collaboration highlights the power of uniting ancient wisdom and modern tools for the greater good.
Distinguished Research Professor, Thomas Smith says, “There’s really a vast perceptual difference in the way they see the forest."
Read the full article here, "Indigenous Knowledge, Captured on Maps, Aims to Protect Congo Basin Diversity".
EEB PhD student Joanna Wu interviewed by Smithsonian Magazine for article on female birds.
EEB PhD student, Joanna Wu, is interviewed by Smithsonian Magazine for article on female birds, "See Stunning Images of Female Birds, Often Overlooked by Wildlife Photographers".
EEB PhD Student, Benjamin Hà, and EEB faculty members, Paul Barber and Rachel Kennison, are featured in the UCLA Newsroom for recent publication
The UCLA Newsroom's recent article "New paper proposes incorporating anti-racism in life sciences education" highlights the motivation behind a recent publication led by EEB PhD Student, Benjamin Hà, and EEB faculty members, Paul Barber and Rachel Kennison, which was published in TREE titled "Interdisciplinary approaches to advancing anti-racist pedagogies in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology".
Professor Elsa Ordway named co-director of the Center for Tropical Research and the Congo Basin Institute
Elsa Ordway, UCLA assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, was named co-director of the Center for Tropical Research and the Congo Basin Institute on July 1, 2023. She leads the organizations with UCLA professor Tom Smith, who founded them and has served as sole director.
For full news release, please visit here.
Project Phoenix, a joint project from UCLA and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, launches with Project Director, Olivia Sanderfoot of the Tingley Lab
Project Phoenix, new initiative created by UCLA and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County will use community science to learn more about the effects, with a goal of developing strategies to help birds cope with wildfires, air pollution and climate change. Project Director, Olivia Sanderfoot, is a La Kretz Center Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Tingley Lab.
For full article, please visit the UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Professor, Morgan Tingley and former EEB Postdoc, Casey Youngflesh are featured in the UCLA Newsroom for recent study publication
The UCLA Newsroom's recent article, "Birds raise fewer young when spring arrives earlier in a warming world-Study led by UCLA, Michigan State scientists finds conservation strategies should address avian responses to climate-driven shifts" sheds light on the results of a recent study publication made by EEB Professor Morgan Tingely, former EEB Postdoc, Dr. Casey Youngflesh, and EEB Ph.D student, Graham Montgomery in PNAS, "Demographic consequences of phenological asynchrony for North American songbirds".
EEB Professor, Elsa Ordway, noted as a speaker at the Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force's (GCF Task Force) recent workshop at UCLA
EEB Professor, Elsa Ordway was a speaker at the Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force's (GCF Task Force) recent workshop on remote sensing technology for government representatives from around the world held at UCLA this past June. The workshop is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Global network for saving forests has its roots at UCLA".
“With this comes a lot of information that’s being captured on a daily basis,” said Elsa Ordway, a UCLA ecology professor and expert on tropical forests. “The question here is, How do we make use of that?”
Previous EEB Ph.D., Zack Gold and biology major graduate, Mckenzie Koch, lead co-authors, along with EEB Professor, Paul Barber's recent publication is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Previous EEB Ph.D., Zack Gold and biology major graduate, Mckenzie Koch, lead co-authors, along with EEB Professor, Paul Barber's recent publication in PLOS One, "A comparison of biomonitoring methodologies for surf zone fish communities", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom. To view the article, please visit "What’s living beneath the waves in Southern California?"
Emeritus Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh Quoted in the New York Times, "A Bear That Looked Like a Raccoon and Had a Dangerous Appetite"
Emeritus Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh quoted in the New York Times, "A Bear That Looked Like a Raccoon and Had a Dangerous Appetite". Please visit here.
Professor Lawren Sack quoted in the Wall Street Journal, "Supercharging Nature to Suck Carbon From the Air"
Professor Lawren Sack quoted in the Wall Street Journal, "Supercharging Nature to Suck Carbon From the Air".
Postdoc in Tingley Lab, Olivia Sanderfoot, featured in the Ottawa-Citizen, Popular Science, and National Geographic with Professor Morgan Tingley
Postdoc in Tingley Lab, Olivia Sanderfoot, featured in the Ottawa-Citizen, Popular Science, and National Geographic with Professor Morgan Tingley.
Recent publication by EEB PhD Student, Benjamin Hà, and EEB Faculty, Paul Barber and Rachel Kennison, on interdisciplinary approaches to advancing anti-racist teaching strategies in EEB
EEB PhD Student, Benjamin Hà, collaborated with EEB faculty members, Paul Barber and Rachel Kennison, on an article titled, “Interdisciplinary approaches to advancing anti-racist pedagogies in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology” which has been published online in Trends in Ecology and Evolution. The goal of this article is to demonstrate how EEB can use interdisciplinarity and anti-racist pedagogy to confront Eurocentric curricula and practices. By ignoring the racist history of EEB, we only continue to perpetuate Whiteness in our research and teachings. As an example of applying this framework, the article highlights an undergraduate seminar designed and instructed by Benjamin Hà called “The History and Racism of Biology Research.” The article also includes concrete examples of transforming traditional EEB lecture content into anti-racist content.
EEB Professor Dan Blumstein and colleagues paper in Trends in Ecology and Evolution are highlighted in an LA Times Opinion piece and The Conversation
Two popular pieces, a LA Times opinion, "Opinion: Conservation scientists can train wild animals to avoid threats, but is it ethical?", and a piece in The Conversation, "Changing wild animals’ behavior could help save them – but is it ethical?" follows Professor Dan Blumstein and colleagues paper in Trends in Ecology and Evolution on the ethical issues arising from conservation behavioral interventions, "The ethics of intervening in animal behaviour for conservation".
Olivia Sanderfoot, La Kretz Center Postdoc in the Tingley lab, interviewed by TIME, "How Wildfire Smoke Affects Wildlife—and Your Pets"
La Kretz Center Postdoc in the Tingley lab, Olivia Sanderfoot, recently sat down for an interview with TIME in regards to how smoke impacts wildlife, "How Wildfire Smoke Affects Wildlife—and Your Pets".
Professor Tom Smith's recent co-authored publication is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Professor Tom Smith's recent co-authored publication, "Chromosome-length genome assemblies and cytogenomic analyses of pangolins reveal remarkable chromosome counts and plasticity", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "White-bellied pangolins have second-most chromosomes among mammals".
EEB PhD Student, Hayden Speck, Featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Disney mermaids aren’t the only wondrous creatures ‘under the sea’"
EEB PhD Student, Hayden Speck, featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Disney mermaids aren’t the only wondrous creatures ‘under the sea’".
Professor Lawren Sack Quoted in the Los Angeles Times
Professor Lawren Sack is quoted in the Los Angeles Times, "Why haven’t all the jacarandas bloomed yet? When will purple reign again in L.A.?"
EEB Postdoc, Chris Kyriazis and EEB Professor, Elsa Ordway receive 2023 Life Science Excellence Awards
The UCLA's Division of Life Sciences Annual Life Science Excellence Awards recently announced the 2023 recipients.
Two of EEB's own were just a few named this year:
-Excellence in Research, Postdoctoral-Chris Kyriazis
-Excellence in Research, Assistant Professor-Elsa Ordway
The Life Science Excellence Awards highlights individuals that have demonstrated exceptional talent, creativity, and dedication to their fields.
EEB Postdoc, Monte Neate-Clegg (lead author) and EEB Professor, Morgan Tingley's June 2023 publication is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
EEB Postdoc, Monte Neate-Clegg (lead author) and EEB Professor, Morgan Tingley's June 2023 publication, "The combined effects of temperature and fragment area on the demographic rates of an Afrotropical bird community over 34 years", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Climate change, habitat loss threaten East African bird populations".
EEB Alumnus, Nathan Mallipeddi, receives a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship
2020 EEB Alumnus, Nathan Mallipeddi, receives a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship. For the full article, please visit here.
New article in Daily Bruin about the Field Biology Quarter
The Daily Bruin, "UCLA group completes ecology and evolutionary biology field quarter in Amazon" recently published an article in regards to a recent EEB Field Biology Quarter held in the Amazon.
EEB Professors and Previous EEB Ph.D. Students Contribute to Remembrance Piece in honor of Distinguished Professor, Robert K. Wayne
EEB Professors, Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Victoria Sork, Thomas Smith, and Kirk Lohmueller, and previous EEB Ph.Ds, Bridgett von Holdt and Jennifer Leonard, contribute to a remembrance piece in honor of Distinguished Professor, Robert K. Wayne in Molecular Ecology-"Remembering distinguished professor Robert K. Wayne".
EEB Adjunct Professor, Jon Keeley, Ranked in the 2023 Edition of Research.com's Best Scientists in the field of Ecology and Evolution
EEB Adjunct Professor, Jon Keeley, recently ranked in the 2023 Edition of Research.com's Best Scientists in the field of Ecology and Evolution: #221 in world ranking and #94 in the United States.
Current and recent EEB graduate students Tina Del Carpio, Ashlyn Ford, Eva Horna Lowell, Marissa Ochoa, and Hayden Speck published an article in Nature Ecology and Evolution
Current and recent EEB graduate students Tina Del Carpio, Ashlyn Ford, Eva Horna Lowell, Marissa Ochoa, and Hayden Speck published an article in Nature Ecology and Evolution on How to diversify your department’s seminar series. They wrote this article based on what they think our department does well to have an above average diverse and inclusive seminar series.
EEB PhD student in the Sack and Ordway Labs, Nidhi Vinod, wins a Corliss Knapp Engle Scholarship from the Garden Club of America
EEB PhD student in the Sack and Ordway Labs, Nidhi Vinod, wins a 2023 Corliss Knapp Engle Scholarship from the Garden Club of America. She won for her research on using physiological and anatomical traits to assess drought tolerance of dominant palm trees in California.
EEB Adjunct Professor, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz to lead National Academies Board
Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, a professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine and adjunct professor in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA, has been appointed by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine to direct its Board on Animal Health Science, Conservation and Research.
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professors Dan Blumstein and Barbara Natterson-Horowitz's recent publication featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Professors Dan Blumstein and Barbara Natterson-Horowitz's recent publication in Frontiers in Science, "The future of evolutionary medicine: sparking innovation in biomedicine and public health", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Emerging field of evolutionary medicine could address range of health conditions".
EEB Professor, Nandita Garud receives CAREER Award from National Science Foundation
EEB Professor, Nandita Garud receives CAREER Award from National Science Foundation to develop statistical methods for discovery of the adaptations arising in parallel in multiple host microbiomes. For the full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professors Emeriti, Ken Nagy and Blaire Van Valkenburgh, named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest scientific society, has named seven UCLA faculty members as 2022 fellows. Since 1874, the AAAS, which publishes the journal Science, has selected members whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science, and its applications in service to society, have distinguished them among their peers. Among the seven, our own Professors Emeriti, Ken Nagy and Blaire Van Valkenburgh are named.
For the full article, please visit , "7 professors named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science".
A recent publication from the Jacobs lab, led by recent PhD Rachel Turba, treating the conservation genomics of endangered stickleback in Southern California is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
A recent publication, "Genetic structure and historic demography of endangered unarmoured threespine stickleback at southern latitudes signals a potential new management approach", from the Jacobs lab, led by recent PhD Rachel Turba, treating the conservation genomics of endangered stickleback in Southern California is featured in the UCLA Newsroom. For the full article, please visit here.
EEB Professor Dan Blumstein Quoted on NPR on the the tradition of Groundhog Day in the U.S.
EEB Professor Dan Blumstein Quoted on NPR, "How Groundhog Day came to the U.S. — and why we still celebrate it 137 years later", on the tradition of Groundhog Day in the U.S.
"Daniel Blumstein is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA who studies marmots, the group of 15 species of large ground squirrels that includes groundhogs. His department always has a Groundhog Day party, even in perennially-sunny Los Angeles — but he says you don't have to be a 'marmot enthusiast' (as he describes himself) to get something out of the day.
'I hope that people have some greater appreciation of marmots and nature, and I hope that people have a chuckle over the idea that it's the middle of the winter and we're hoping that a rodent will tell us what the future is,' says Blumstein."
EEB Ph.D. candidate Christina Del Carpio named as one of Inaugural UCLA EDI Student Leadership Awardees
In Fall 2022, the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) launched its inaugural UCLA EDI Student Leadership Award. At UCLA, EDI is everyone’s responsibility, and the objective of the EDI Student Leadership Award is to recognize the contributions of individual UCLA students who have exhibited exceptional leadership in work that aligns with and contributes to the EDI Office’s mission and priorities.
Recently they have named their 2022-2023 EDI Student Leadership Awardees
• Christina Del Carpio
• Umiemah Farrukh
• Ashley Ceballos Hernandez
• Ji Yoon (Gloria) Kim
• Carolanne Link
• Andrew Ramirez
• Norma Sandoval
Congratulations to all the awardees, including EEB's own Christina Del Carpio.
Previous EEB Ph.D. Student, Zachary Gold interviewed on KPCC FM in regards to research recently published in PeerJ
Previous EEB Ph.D. Student, Zachary Gold was recently interviewed on KPCC FM-"Tracking marine species with simplified DNA test" in regards to research recently published in PeerJ, "A manager’s guide to using eDNA metabarcoding in marine ecosystems". Additional authors on the publication include previous EEB Ph.D. students, Emily Curd and Rachel Meyer, as well as EEB Professors Paul Barber and Robert Wayne.
UCLA Newsroom: "In memoriam: Robert Wayne, 66, pioneer of conservation genetics, protecting canids and other species"
In Memoriam: Distinguished Professor, Bob Wayne
Remembering and Celebrating Bob Wayne
With great sadness, we announce the passing of Bob Wayne, Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) at the University of California, Los Angeles. Bob was a renowned, internationally recognized scientist and esteemed member of the academic community, and his contributions to the field of genetics and UCLA will not be forgotten.
Bob began his faculty career at UCLA as an Assistant Professor in 1992, after serving as the Head of Conservation Genetics, Zoological Society of London. He rose through the ranks at UCLA, becoming full Professor in 1998 and Distinguished Professor in 2019. He has published over 300 papers throughout his career in top scientific journals.
Bob was especially known for his work in the conservation genetics of wild canids, which included species such as wolves, foxes, and coyotes. He was a pioneer in using DNA technology to study these groups, and his research shed light on the genetic basis of their behavior and evolution. His work also significantly impacted the conservation and management of canid species around the globe. Locally, his work on the effects of urbanization on carnivores in Los Angeles has received considerable media attention. In a 2006 study, Bob and his students showed using genetic data that freeways are a barrier to migration of bobcats and coyotes, establishing the premise of wildlife tunnels to allow animal crossings.
In addition to his work on wild canids, Bob contributed significantly to our understanding of the origins of domestic dogs. His groundbreaking research using genomics helped shed light on the evolutionary history, and his findings have greatly impacted our understanding of the process of domestication.
Perhaps most impressively, Bob has repeatedly reinvented himself scientifically over the last 30 years. While his research focused on applying the latest molecular techniques to studying natural populations, often those of conservation concern, his specific questions and molecular techniques changed over time. Bob pushed the boundaries technologically and conceptually with his research, paying dividends in revealing new insights. His co-authored book published in 1996, entitled Molecular Genetic Approaches in Conservation, based on an AAAS symposium, brought together dozens of researchers using diverse methods, was one of the first of its kind, and helped to build the foundation for modern molecular conservation genetics.
Beyond his own bold insights, Bob was adept at bringing scientists with different areas of expertise together into unique collaborations. For example, in 2016, he received a grant from the UC President’s Office to establish a consortium of researchers from six campuses to develop new techniques for conservation genomics to be shared with the scientific community
Dr. Wayne’s passion for research in evolutionary genetics continued up until the time of his death, when he was working on projects that he found especially meaningful. One such area of research focused on integrating studies of deleterious genetic variation into management of small populations, such as the critically endangered vaquita porpoise. In another, his lab was developing and deploying new techniques for analyzing DNA from the environment to learn about the organisms present, but difficult to detect.
In addition to his research, Bob was deeply committed to education and mentorship. He was a dedicated teacher and mentor to countless students and was always willing to share his knowledge and expertise with those around him. One recent EEB PhD student who graduated in 2017, Dr. Jaqueline Robinson, recalled, “My first meeting with Bob was 14 years ago, but I remember it vividly because it changed the course of my life. Bob inspired me, he gave me a chance, and he supported my scientific development as we worked on fascinating projects together over the years”. Another recent PhD student, Dr. Annabel Beichman remarked, “He had so much faith in his students’ abilities, and made it possible for us to rise to the challenge. He was our forever-mentor, looking out for us long after we graduated”.
Carrying on Bob’s scientific legacy, many of his former PhD students and postdoctoral fellows have gone on to faculty positions at institutions including Princeton, Rice University, Tel Aviv University, CalSate LA, Sonoma State University and the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Others have gone on to successful positions at the National Park Service and the Smithsonian.
Over the last few years, Bob also reinvented himself as an educator. Moving beyond lecture-based classroom presentations, Bob developed a new framework to entice freshman Life Science majors at UCLA into biology and research. Specifically, his new course brought students into the field at UC Reserve sites, where they would sample DNA from the environment and document their observations in online notebooks. DNA would be analyzed from these sampling sites and students gained an appreciation for biodiversity and the research process. Bob taught hundreds of students in this course. His innovative pedagogical approach was recognized by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in 2018 when he received an HHMI Professor award with UCSC Professor Beth Shapiro.
Bob contributed to EEB at UCLA in a myriad of ways. He served on many important faculty search committees, including committees aimed at increasing the quantitative biology in the Life Sciences Division at UCLA. He was also the first to bring the field of conservation genetics to EEB, where his laboratory was always a central hub for innovation for decades. But, perhaps his most significant contribution to UCLA was making everyone around him think bigger and bolder, moving us outside of what we found comfortable. He made us believe in ourselves, our work, and our mission. He is a leading example of a life in academic science well-lived, a touchstone for all of us. While Bob took his research and teaching seriously, he did not take himself as seriously. His dry sense of humor will be missed by his many colleagues and collaborators, especially by these authors.
Outside of UCLA, Bob was an avid biker, naturalist, and active member of the conservation community, helping to promote the conservation of wolves and protect the habitat and species in the Santa Monica Mountains he loved and where he lived and shared with his beloved wife and friend UCLA Distinguished Professor and renown paleontologist Blaire Van Valkenburgh.
Bob will be deeply missed by his colleagues, students, and friends. His contributions to the fields of evolution and conservation genetics will not be forgotten, and his legacy will live on through the many lives he touched.
Tom Smith
Kirk Lohmueller
Recent publication from the Tingley lab is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Recent publication from the Tingley lab, lead by third-year PhD student, Ben Tonelli and attributes from PhD student Casey Youngflesh and EEB Professor, Morgan Tingley in Scientific Reports, "Geomagnetic disturbance associated with increased vagrancy in migratory landbirds", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "When migrating birds go astray, disturbances in magnetic field may be partly to blame".
Previous EEB PhD Scholars and EEB Professors' recent publication in PeerJ is featured in UCLA Newsroom
Previous EEB PhD Scholars, Zachary Gold (lead author), Emily Curd, and Rachel Meyer, as well as EEB Professors Paul Barber and Robert Wayne's recent publication in PeerJ, "A manager’s guide to using eDNA metabarcoding in marine ecosystems", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "No Ph.D. needed: UCLA scientists help simplify DNA testing for tracking marine species".
Recent publication by Professor Dan Blumstein and colleagues is featured on Several News Outlets
A recent publication by Professor Dan Blumstein and colleagues, "Vehicular traffic effects on elk and white-tailed deer behavior near wildlife underpasses", is featured in Science Daily and ScienMag.
Recent publication by Professor Dan Blumstein and colleagues is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
A recent publication by Professor Dan Blumstein and colleagues, "Vehicular traffic effects on elk and white-tailed deer behavior near wildlife underpasses", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Is it safe? Why some animals fear using wildlife crossings".
Recent publication out of the Pinter-Wollman lab featured in the UCLA Newsroom
A recent publication out of the Pinter-Wollman lab, "Nutritional needs and mortality risk combine to shape foraging decisions in ants", was recently featured in the UCLA Newsroom.
It might seem like common sense that a starving animal is more likely to take dangerous risks to obtain food than one with a full belly. But new research from UCLA shows that groups of Argentine ants, who forage boldly when they’re well fed, exercise far more caution when they’ve been deprived of carbohydrates and the risks from competitors are high.
For the full article, please visit here.
The Congo Basin Institute Documentary, 'Smallholder's voice', wins two awards for best documentary at the WILDsound Festival
With support from the UK Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), the Congo Basin Institute helped make a film that shines a light on the lives and challenges of small farmers in Cameroon.
The documentary 'Smallholder's voice' recently won two awards: 1) "Best Short Documentary" at Sweden Film Awards; and 2) "Best long-form documentary - short" at the WILDsound Festival.
Recent published paper by Professors Grether and Shier, as well as previous FBQ students, is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
A recent publication in the Journal of Arachnology is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Male orb-weaving spiders fight less in female-dominated colonies". The research publication was authored by EEB Professors Greg Grether and Debra Shier, along with four previous undergraduates who were a part of an EEB field biology quarter (FBQ) at the Cocha Cashu Biological Station in southeastern Peru.
UCLA EEB Professors, Nathan Kraft and Lawren Sack, are named among the most highly cited researchers in 2022
UCLA EEB Professors, Nathan Kraft and Lawren Sack, are named among the most highly cited researchers in 2022.
Thirty-nine UCLA faculty members were named among world’s most influential researchers in the sciences and social sciences today.
The Highly Cited Researchers list, compiled annually by analytics firm Clarivate, identifies scholars whose work has been cited most often in papers published by other researchers in their fields over the past decade. Those chosen for the 2022 list have authored studies that rank in the top 1% in the number of scholarly citations worldwide. Several UCLA scholars were among the most highly cited researchers in more than one of the list’s 22 research categories.
For the full list of UCLA scholars, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Congo Basin Institute is leading the Sustainable Cocoa Coalition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Supporting the production of sustainable cocoa and fight deforestation around the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR), in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is one of the goals of the Sustainable Cocoa Coalition of which CBI (Congo Basin Institute) is part of. This year partners were able to get cocoa exporters representing 70% of the market to sign a statement of intent agreeing to play an active role in protecting the OWR – ensuring that cocoa is not cultivated within specific conservation corridors in the OWR buffer zone, and is not driving further deforestation within the OWR.
Discover more about this effort in this press release.
EEB Doctoral candidate Mary Van Dyke has published a thesis chapter with Prof. Nathan Kraft in Nature
EEB Doctoral candidate Mary Van Dyke has published a thesis chapter with Prof. Nathan Kraft in Nature this week, focused on understanding how variation in rainfall driven by global change will alter plant communities in the future.
Small rainfall changes drive substantial changes in plant coexistence
Mary Van Dyke. Jonathan Levine, Nathan Kraft
Nature 2022
Accompanying Nature News and Views article
Professor Elsa Ordway and her recent publication is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Understanding what makes rainforests distinct from one another could advance conservation efforts"
Professor Elsa Ordway's recent publication in Nature-Communications Earth and Environment is featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Understanding what makes rainforests distinct from one another could advance conservation efforts".
Former Rundel lab PostDoc, Karen Esler, recently named a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa
Former Phil Rundel PostDoc, Karen Esler, was named a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa (RSSAf) this past week. Both organizations are focused on science for society. ASSAf was signed in being by Nelson Mandela as an act of Parliament; RSSAf, has been in existence since 1908.
Professor Morgan Tingley and postdoc Casey Youngflesh featured in the UCLA Newsroom for their recent publication in Nature Ecology and Evolution
Professor Morgan Tingley and postdoc Casey Youngflesh published in Nature Ecology and Evolution their findings from 105 species of birds showing dramatic declines in body size over the last 30 years, associated with climate change. The study goes on to demonstrate how bird body sizes change naturally over space following average temperature, but that the declines seen over time show that avian body size “isn’t keeping up”.
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Dan Blumstein Co-Authors Publication Featured in UCLA Newsroom, "Wildfires drive L.A.’s mountain lions to take deadly risks"
Professor Dan Blumstein co-authors publication, "Mountain lions avoid burned areas and increase risky behavior after wildfire in a fragmented urban landscape", featured in UCLA Newsroom, "Wildfires drive L.A.’s mountain lions to take deadly risks".
EEB Professor Elsa Ordway Awarded a NASA JPL Strategic University Research Partnership Grant
Our very own UCLA EEB Professor, Elsa Ordway, was recently awarded a NASA JPL Strategic University Research Partnership Grant, in collaboration with JPL Scientists, K. Dana Chadwick and Fabian Schneider. This funding will support PhD student, Carissa DeRanek, to explore the functional stability of California ecosystems using imaging spectroscopy after a decade of drought and fire.
EEB Graduate Student, Kelsi Rutledge, Featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "How a UCLA fish scientist helped the alien in Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ seem terrifyingly real"
EEB graduate student, Kelsi Rutledge featured in the UCLA Newsroom for her recent contributions to the movie industry, "How a UCLA fish scientist helped the alien in Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ seem terrifyingly real"
EEB graduate student, Marissa Ochoa, awarded Best Student Poster at this year's Botany 2022 Conference
EEB graduate student, Marissa Ochoa, awarded Best Student Poster at this year's Botany 2022 Conference held in Anchorage, Alaska this past July. Marissa won with her poster titled, "How does stomatal anatomy influence leaf conductance from minimum to maximum? Causal relationships and meta-analysis".
Professor of EEB, Dr. Robert Wayne, and Former Ph.D. student, Dr. Daniel Chavez featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Professor of EEB, Dr. Robert Wayne, and former Ph.D. student, Dr. Daniel Chavez featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Genomic analysis reveals true origin of South America’s canids".
The California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP) led by UCLA's EEB Distinguished Professor, Brad Shaffer, mentioned in NY Times piece
The California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP) led by UCLA's EEB Distinguished Professor, Brad Shaffer,mentioned in NY Times piece, "Humans Have a Long History of Making ‘Very Bad Decisions’ to Save Animals".
UCLA EEB's Emeritus Professor, Stephen Hubbell, quoted in the Scientist
UCLA EEB's emeritus professor, Stephen Hubbell, quoted in The Scientist, "Are We in the Midst of a Sixth Mass Extinction?"
EEB Distinguished Professor and Director of the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Brad Shaffer, quoted in the LA Times
A recent article in the LA Times, "What’s the deal with all the turtles in Los Angeles parks?" featured quotes from EEB's Distinguished Professor and Director of the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Brad Shaffer.
EEB Professor Dan Blumstein Featured on MSN, "City Tells New Yorkers: Don't Panic About 'Splooting' Squirrels"
EEB Professor Dan Blumstein featured on MSN, "City Tells New Yorkers: Don't Panic About 'Splooting' Squirrels".
EEB graduate student, Kelsi Rutledge featured on Nerdist for her recent science consultation on the movie, "Nope"
EEB graduate student, Kelsi Rutledge featured on Nerdist for her recent science consultation on the movie, "Nope", "Nope's Science Consultant Reveals the Name and Inspiration for the Movie's Alien".
EEB Professor Elsa Ordway awarded a 2022-2023 Faculty Career Development Award
The UCLA Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion's Faculty Career Development Awards (FCDA) provide regular rank Assistant Professors and Assistant Professors-in-Residence with support for scholarship and creative activities necessary for promotion to
tenure. Special consideration will be given to regular rank Assistant Professors and Assistant Professors-in-Residence with demonstrated achievement in service, research, or creative activities that further inclusive excellence for the University or community at-large. Priority will also be given to regular rank Assistant Professors and Assistant Professors-in-Residence, who have held the Assistant Professor rank for at least one academic year.
For the 2022-2023 year, our own EEB Professor Elsa Ordway was awarded an FCDA.
EEB Professor Morgan Tingley featured in the NY Times
EEB Professor Morgan Tingley featured in the NY Times, "Why does the American West Have So Many Fires?"
The Wayne Lab Recently published on Exploring Microbial Communities at a Los Angeles Brownfield Near the Los Angeles River in Microbial Ecology Journal
The Wayne Lab recently published on Exploring Microbial Communities at a Los Angeles Brownfield Near the Los Angeles River in Microbial Ecology journal, "Soil Microbial Community Composition and Tolerance to Contaminants in an Urban Brownfield Site".
Professor Brad Shaffer's work for the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP) Featured in UCSC news
Professor Brad Shaffer's work for the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP), "UCSC scholars join researchers statewide on a massive genomic study of California’s biodiversity", featured in UCSC news.
Professor Victoria Sork Highlighted in the Spring 2022 Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Professor Victoria Sork is highlighted in the Spring 2022 Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences for her involvement with the "A Night at the Museums" virtual event.
For Professor Sork's featurette, please visit Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences-Spring 2022, turn to page 39 for the full event feature or Page 42-43 for Professor Sork's piece.
Co-Mentored Postdoc, Robert Fofrich, Awarded to the 2022-2023 UC Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Co-mentored postdoc, Robert Fofrich (Ordway and Smith), is awarded to the 2022-2023 UC Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. The University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program was established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minority Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California. The current program offers postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development and faculty mentoring to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at UC.
Congratulations to Robert on this accomplishment.
EEB Adjunct Professor, Seth Riley, and EEB Graduate Student, Audra Huffmeyer, featured in the AP News, "Big Cats in Urban Jungle: LA Mountain Lions, Mumbai Leopards"
EEB Adjunct Professor, Seth Riley, and EEB Graduate Student, Audra Huffmeyer, featured in the AP News, "Big Cats in Urban Jungle: LA Mountain Lions, Mumbai Leopards".
EEB Graduate Student, Brandon Chan Selected for AGU's 2022 Voices of Science Program
AGU was established in 1919 by the National Research Council and operated as an unincorporated affiliate of the National Academy of Sciences for more than 50 years. The Voices for Science is a program AGU launched in 2018 that centers around training scientists to address the critical need for communicating the value and impact of Earth and space science to key decision makers, journalists, and public audiences. The program recruits scientists to participate in one of two tracks: policy or communications. The Voices for Science program provides scientists interested in science communications and outreach with specialized training to hone their skills. Throughout the twelve-month program, participants work directly with AGU staff to conduct regular outreach activities with a variety of audiences in their local communities.
Our very own EEB Graduate Student from the Kremer lab, Brandon Chan, has been identified to the 2022 Voices for Science Program. AGU President Susan Lozier noted, "Brandon's enthusiasm for developing and using communication and advocacy skills as part of the 2022 Voices for Science program shows a tremendous dedication to promoting science for the benefit of the scientific community and humanity at large, and AGU would like to commend him."
The UCLA Department of EEB congratulates Brandon for this achievement.
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Quoted on The Atlantic in regards to the recent Monkeypox Outbreak
Professor James Lloyd-Smith quoted on The Atlantic in regards to the recent monkeypox outbreak.
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Quoted in the Los Angeles Times in regards to Monkeypox
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Quoted in the Los Angeles Times in regards to Monkeypox.
Congratulations to Ben Tonelli for NASA FINESST Fellowship
Congratulations are due to Ben Tonelli, 2nd-year PhD student in the Tingley Lab. Ben was notified recently that he has been selected for a 2022 FINESST award (Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology) from NASA. Similar to the NSF GRFP, FINESST is a 3-year award that will fund Ben’s research for a total of $150,000. Under this award, Ben will be studying how avian pathogens and spillover risk are related to climate and land-use change in an irruptive migratory bird.
Several EEB Departmental Members Awarded 2022 Life Sciences Excellence Awards
For the 2021-2022 academic year, several of our EEB Community members were awarded for their excellent work.
Excellence in Research
Postdoctoral Fellow– Casey Youngflesh (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
Excellence in Research, PhD. Candidate – Alec Baird (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
Excellence in Educational Innovation
PhD. Candidate – Benjamin Ha (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
Excellence in Promoting Diversity & Inclusion
Postdoctoral Fellow –Eric Caldera (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
PhD. Candidate – Christina Del Carpio (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
Life Sciences Administrative Staff Excellence Award
Life Sciences Administrative Staff – Eileen Mansoorian (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
For the full list of awardees, please visit Life Sciences Division webpage.
EEB Adjunct Professor, Gary Bucciarelli, Quoted in Article on Recently Published Skydiving Salamander Study
EEB adjunct professor, Gary Bucciarelli, quoted in article on recently published skydiving salamander study. For full article, please visit MSN.
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Interviewed in regards to the current Monkeypox global spread
Professor James Lloyd-Smith interviewed in regards to the current Monkeypox global spread.
For the full articles, please visit The Washington Post and Wired.
Distinguished Professor Thomas Smith receives one of six UCLA Public Impact Research Awards
Six professors receive UCLA Public Impact Research Awards. The Office of Research & Creative Activities is honoring faculty for work that connects campus to local and global communities and EEB's own, Distinguished Professor Thomas Smith receives one of the awards this year. The awards ceremony will be held on June 1st.
For the full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom and UCLA Life Sciences Division homepage.
Christian Henry of the Sack Lab Receives a UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship for 2022-2023
We are delighted to announce that Christian Henry (Sack Lab) receives a UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship for 2022-2023. This is a tremendous honor for him and for EEB.
EEB Professors Kirk Lohmueller, Robert Wayne, Current EEB Graduate Student Christopher Kyriazis, and Former Wayne Lab Student, Dr. Jacqueline Robinson's Recent Publication Continues to Trend on Multiple News Outlets
EEB Professors Kirk Lohmueller, Robert Wayne, current EEB graduate student Christopher Kyriazis, and former Wayne Lab Student, Dr. Jacqueline Robinson's recent publication continues to trend on multiple news outlets.
Arizona Public Media
Borneo Bulletin
News Nine
EuroNews.Next
Business Insider
Daily Sabah
Nation.com
CBC
UN Biodiversity
ARS Technica
EXPRESS
Earth.com
Independent
News Channel 3
Business Insider Africa
UCLA College
Smithsonian Magazine
USA Today
National Geographic UK
The Washington Post
EuroNews
UCLA EEB Professors Kirk Lohmueller & Robert Wayne, Current EEB Graduate Student Christopher Kyriazis, and Former Wayne Lab Student, Dr. Jacqueline Robinson are Featured Across Multiple News Outlets for their Research that was Recently Published in Science
UCLA EEB Professors Kirk Lohmueller and Robert Wayne, current EEB graduate student Christopher Kyriazis, and former Wayne lab student, Dr. Jacqueline Robinson are featured across multiple news outlets for their research that was recently published in the journal, Science.
The vaquita porpoise, the world’s smallest marine mammal, is on the brink of extinction, with 10 or fewer still living in Mexico’s Gulf of California, their sole habitat. But a genetic analysis by a team of our very own from UCLA, and colleagues from other agencies and institutions have found, that the critically endangered species remains relatively healthy and can potentially survive if action is taken now.
For news on their research, please visit:
UCLA Newsroom
CNN
NPR
The Guardian
Reuters
The New York Times
National Geographic
Gizmodo
The Daily Mail UK
GPB
Iowa Public Radio
New Scientist
France 24
Barron's
MSN
Yahoo News
Science Daily
Eurkalert
Phys.org
Courthouse News Service
Professors Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Peter Narins, and Brad Shaffer are elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Eleven UCLA faculty members were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies. A total of 261 artists, scholars, scientists and leaders in the public, nonprofit and private sectors were elected, including honorary members from 16 countries.
Our very own Professors Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Peter Narins, and Brad Shaffer were a part of the eleven UCLA faculty elected this year.
For the full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Graduate Students, Austin Betancourt and Xochitl Ortiz Ross, are awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Student Research Fellowships
Congratulations are in order for two of our current EEB graduate students who were awarded Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation:
Austin Betancourt, MS Student in the Barber Lab
and
Xochitl Ortiz Ross, PhD Student in the Blumstein Lab
Species named after EEB Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh
Scientists have named a new fossil sabertooth carnivore after our own UCLA EEB Professor, Blaire Van Valkenburgh: - Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae. The authors (Zack, Poust, & Wagner, 2022, PeerJ), who do not know Prof. Van Valkenburgh personally, state that this discovery is "Named in honor of Dr. Blaire Van Valkenburgh, in recognition of her substantial contributions to our understanding of iterative evolution in carnivorous mammals and saber-tooth paleoecology.”
For full article please visit Scientific American, "Newly Discovered Saber-Tooth Predator Shows How Hypercarnivores Evolved".
EEB Graduate Student Kelsi Rutledge Wins 1st Place at the 2022 UCLA Grad Slam Finals
EEB graduate student Kelsi Rutledge of the Buth and Gordon lab wins 1st place at the 2022 UCLA Grad Slam Finals, "The Fluid Dynamics of Smell: A Stingray's Perspective". She will go on to compete in the UC Grad Slam Competition on May 6th, 2022 at the LinkedIn Headquarters in San Francisco.
Recording of the 2022 UCLA Grad Slam is available here.
The Recent Nature Ecology and Evolutionary Publication Authored by EEB's own, Gabriela Pinho, Dan Blumstein, and Robert Wayne is featured in Multiple News Outlets
The recent Nature Ecology and Evolutionary publication authored by EEB Ph.D. fellow, Gabriela Pinho, and EEB Professors, Robert Wayne and Dan Blumstein, is featured in multiple news outlets:
Science Daily
Phys.org
EurekAlert
Eurasia Review
Bioengineer.org
Technology Networks
Nature World News
The Science Times
Yubanet.com
Semergenclm
Daily Mail
Inverse
"The secret to longevity? Ask a yellow-bellied marmot" featured in the UCLA Newsroom
A recent study published in Nature Ecology & Evolutionary, "Hibernation slows epigenetic ageing in yellow-bellied marmots", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom.
Our own EEB Ph.D. fellow, Gabriela Pinho, lead author on the publication, along with EEB Professors, Robert Wayne and Dan Blumstein, as well as MCDB and C&SB Professor, Matteo Pellegrini's interesting research show that marmots essentially stop aging during the seven to eight months they spend hibernating each year.
For the full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom-"The secret to longevity? Ask a yellow-bellied marmot".
Professor Brad Shaffer Quoted in The Mercury News for the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP)
Professor Brad Shaffer Quoted in The Mercury News for the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP), "What 19,500 genomes say about California's wildlife".
In Disney’s attempt to authentically represent Colombia’s environment in their recent movie, Encanto, the studio enlisted UCLA EEB's own Professor Felipe Zapata
In Disney’s attempt to authentically represent Colombia’s environment in their recent movie, Encanto, the studio enlisted UCLA EEB's own Professor Felipe Zapata to be botanical adviser.
For the full interview and articles, please visit St. Louis Public Radio and UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh Featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Notches on lions’ teeth reveal poaching in Zambia’s conservation areas"
Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh Featured in the UCLA Newsroom, Notches on lions’ teeth reveal poaching in Zambia’s conservation areas. The UCLA study shows the strange markings are the result of trapped big cats chewing through wire snares, indicating these animals are injured at far higher rates than previously assumed.
Professor Dan Blumstein Quoted in the New York Times' Science Times Print Edition
Professor Dan Blumstein quoted in the New York Times' Science Times Print Edition, "Groundhogs Emerge From the Scientific Shadow". The piece is about marmots and the work of behavioral ecologist Christine Maher.
Professor Dan Blumstein Quoted in the New York Times' Clued In Column
Professor Dan Blumstein quoted in the New York Times' Clued In Column, "The Way We Talk About Climate Change Matters, Bill Nye Says".
Using the phrase “phasing down coal” instead of “phasing out coal” dilutes the meaning and intensity of the conversation about coal’s effect on the environment.
“Our future depends on getting the tone right,” Daniel Blumstein, a professor at UCLA’s Institute of Environment and Sustainability, said. He added that the goal should be to eliminate as many carbon-producing energy sources as possible and replace them with carbon-free ones. “While there may be a transition that requires some carbon-intensive energy sources,” Blumstein said, “the word ‘out’ connotes a future where coal has no substantial role, where the word ‘down’ implies we just want to reduce it a bit.”
For full column, please visit here.
Announcing the La Kretz Center and Stunt Ranch Reserve 2022 conservation science research awards
The La Kretz Center and Stunt Ranch Reserve recently announced their 2022 conservation science research award winners. The awardees are UCLA graduate students in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, working on projects including the community diversity of eelgrass in the Port of LA, how competition between species affects the habitat that Stephens’ kangaroo rats use, how wildlife are recovering after the Woolsey Fire, how island fox are overcoming inbreeding, and urban ecology of dark-eyed juncos.
Congratulations to:
Wilmer Amaya-Mejia: Urbanization effects on the disease ecology of dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis)
Candice Cross: Characterizing community biodiversity of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in the Port of LA surrounding a localized dredging event
Janine Fischer: Effects of interspecific competition on habitat use by Stephens’ kangaroo rat
Sara Freimuth: Effects of Urbanization on Gut Microbial Communities in Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis)
Chloe Nouzille: Wildlife post-Woolsey Fire Recovery and Recolonization
Carolyn Xue: Comparisons in Patterns of Antibiotic Resistance Bacteria Between Urban and Non-urban Populations of Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis)
Stella Yuan: DNA methylation variation as a mechanism to alleviate inbreeding depression in the island fox (Urocyon littoralis)
For the full announcement, please visit here.
The New York Times Wirecutter Blog Post Cites 2020 Study Professor James Lloyd-Smith was Involved in
In our ever-changing circumstances during this pandemic, the New York Times Wirecutter Blog released a post on "How to Reuse N95, KN95, and Other Disposable Masks". The post shows that N95 respirators can be decontaminated effectively and re-used. It cites a 2020 study that our own UCLA EEB Professor James Lloyd-Smith was a part of, "Effectiveness of N95 Respirator Decontamination and Reuse against SARS-CoV-2 Virus".
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Quoted in the New York Times
The New York Times recently ran an article, "Omicron’s Radical Evolution", discussing Omicron’s mutations and a study showing 13 of these mutations were rarely, if ever, found in other coronaviruses. UCLA EEB's own Professor James Lloyd-Smith, who was not involved in the study, said that the research revealed just how hard it is to reconstruct the evolution of a virus, even one that arose recently. “Nature is certainly doing its part to keep us humble,” he said.
Professors Michael Alfaro and Barbara Natterson-Horowitz co-author recent paper with previous ISG Postdoctoral Fellow, Jennifer Smith
Professors Michael Alfaro and Barbara Natterson-Horowitz co-author recent paper with previous ISG Postdoctoral Fellow advised by Professor Dan Blumstein, Jennifer Smith, "The nature of privilege: intergenerational wealth in animal societies".
European Sting and New York Times have picked up the study and featured it on their news outlets.
EEB Postdoctoral Researcher, Audra Huffmeyer (lead author) and EEB Faculty, Robert Wayne's recent study featured in the UCLA Newsroom
UCLA-led study, "First reproductive signs of inbreeding depression in Southern California male mountain lions (Puma concolor)", by EEB Postdoctoral Researcher, Audra Huffmeyer (lead author) and EEB Faculty, Robert Wayne, suggests that these mountain lions may soon find it much harder to reproduce due to a lack of genetic diversity.
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Professor Peter Nonacs, Ten EEB Graduate Students, and One Former EEB Undergraduate Student's recent paper was published as part of a research topic on Major Evolutionary Transitions in Frontiers Ecology and Evolution
EEB Professor Peter Nonacs, EEB Graduate Students: Amanda Robin, Eva Horna Lowell, Tanner Dulay, Saba Ebrahimi, Gina Johnson, Davis Mai, Sean O'Fallon, Conner Philson, Hayden Speck, and Xinhui Paige Zhang; and Former EEB Undergraduate Student, Kaleda Denton's, recent paper, "Major evolutionary transitions and the roles of facilitation and information in ecosystem transformations", was published as part of a research topic on Major Evolutionary Transitions in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. The paper originated as a joint project in a 297 Grad Seminar in Winter 2020.
Professor Nonacs notes that major evolutionary transitions have been categorized as fusions of previously independent individuals into an integrated, higher order individual, or as fundamental changes in how information is stored and transmitted across individuals. However, the ecological context in which such changes occurred or the effects they had on entire ecosystems were often not considered. Yet, it is precisely such changes that implicitly first drew attention to these events. We examine what was happening in the environment preceding and succeeding these transitions and how this alters our understanding of the key evolutionary events throughout Earth’s history.
Professors Pamela Yeh and Van Savage contribute to book about lessons from the pandemic
UCLA EEB professors Pamela Yeh and Van Savage are among the contributors to a new book about lessons that can be drawn from the COVID-19 pandemic and society’s response to the crisis.
“The Complex Alternative: Complexity Scientists on the COVID-19 Pandemic” (2021, SFI Press Compass Series) includes articles by 60 leading scholars.
For full news article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professors Lawren Sack and Nathan Kraft are Named Amongst the World’s Most Influential Researchers
In its latest annual list, Clarivate Analytics names the most highly cited researchers — the scholars whose work was most often referenced by other scientific research papers in 21 fields in the sciences and social sciences. The researchers rank in the top 1% in their fields, based on their widely cited studies. The 2021 list is produced using research citations from January 2010 to December 2020.
UCLA EEB's own Professors Lawren Sack and Nathan Kraft are named on the world's most influential researchers list.
For more information, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Priyanga Amarasekare elected to the Ecological Society of America's Diversity Committee
The Ecological Society of America's (ESA) Diversity Committee is responsible for the development of programs to enhance recruitment, training, and retention of underrepresented and marginalized groups in the ecological sciences, and to encourage equitable treatment and representation of people of all genders, ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds. Reporting to the Governing Board, the committee engages all ESA sections, chapters, and committees to address diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within ESA and across the field of ecology.
Professor Priyanga Amarasekare has been selected to serve on this important committee, 2021-2023.
UCLA’s Congo Basin Institute receives $1 million from Bob and Cindy Taylor
Master guitar maker, Bob Taylor, co-founder of Taylor Guitars crossed paths in the mid-2010s with UCLA professor Thomas Smith, the founder and co-director of the Congo Basin institute, who has conducted biodiversity and conservation research in the region for nearly four decades. Since then, Bob and his wife, Cindy Taylor, have donated more than $1.3 million to support the institute’s progress on several fronts, including studies of the ecology of ebony, a massive community-driven replanting program, and a new strategy for community-based rainforest restoration in the Congo Basin. With their continued support of environmental sustainability, they have now recently donated $1.05 million to support UCLA’s Congo Basin Institute and its ebony conservation research and restoration efforts in Cameroon.
For the full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Felipe Zapata's Recent Co-Authored Publication in PNAS is featured in Science News
Professor Felipe Zapata's Recent Co-Authored Publication in PNAS is featured in Science News, "How these sea-loving mangroves ended up far from the coast".
Professor Felipe Zapata Highlighted for his Recent Co-Authored Publication in PNAS
"A ‘lost world’ in the Yucatan Peninsula reveals possible impacts of climate change on coastal plains" highlights Professor Felipe Zapata's recent co-authored publication, "Relict inland mangrove ecosystem reveals Last Interglacial sea levels" in PNAS. The new findings provide insights to understand future scenarios of relative sea level rise as global warming progresses in the Gulf of Mexico's coastal lowlands.
Professor Dan Blumstein's recent Animal Behavior Society’s 2021 Richard Buchholz Conservation Behavior Award is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Professor Dan Blumstein's recent Animal Behavior Society’s 2021 Richard Buchholz Conservation Behavior Award is featured in the UCLA Newsroom. For the full news article, please visit here.
EEB Ph.D. Candidate, Tina Del Carpio, named a 2021 Taylor M. Brown Award Recipient
The Taylor M. Brown Memorial Award was established in honor of biosciences graduate student Taylor M. Brown. Taylor was a long-standing and vibrant member of the UCLA community. As a UCLA undergraduate, she majored in Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, receiving her B.S. in 2015. She then joined the Immunity, Microbes, and Molecular Pathogenesis Home Area in the Molecular Biology Ph.D. program, where she pursued her interest in understanding host-pathogen interactions. Taylor was deeply committed to increasing diversity in the biosciences, serving as an active member of the Association for Multi-Ethnic Bioscientists’ Advancement (AMEBA) and the UCLA SACNAS Chapter (SACNAS@UCLA). She was passionate about teaching, mentoring, and outreach. Her kindness and compassion made a lasting and widespread impact on the UCLA biosciences community. Taylor’s many accomplishments, her promise as a scientist, and her strong dedication to diversifying the biosciences were recognized by her selection in 2018 as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellow.
The Taylor M. Brown Award recognizes exceptional Ph.D. students in the biosciences who reflect the characteristics that made Taylor such a special member of the UCLA community. The awardees are well-rounded, with strong interpersonal skills and broad interests, and are passionate about mentorship, leadership, teaching, and science. They are highly engaged with the UCLA biosciences community and have a powerful commitment to increasing diversity in the biosciences.
Tina Del Carpio and Kimberly Martin are named the 2021 awardees of this memorial award.
Tina Del Carpio is a Ph.D. candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the lab of Dr. Kirk Lohmueller. Tina's thesis research is focused on investigating recombination rates in dogs and wolves, and also on investigating the impact of the Competitive Edge program on graduate education. Tina is a passionate advocate for mental health and the founding member of the UCLA EEB Mental Health Working Group. They have contributed to training session for the EEB Department on supporting trans and non-binary students, were a member of the EEB Antiracisim Task Force, and have participated in numerous career and mental health panels for undergraduate and graduate students. Tina is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, a former NHGRI T32 Predoctoral Fellow, and a recipient of a 2021 UCLA EEB Special Faculty Award for Departmental Service.
Distinguished Research Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh's 2021 recipient of the Romer-Simpson Medal from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology is featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Distinguished Research Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh is the 2021 recipient of the Romer-Simpson Medal from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, “Lifetime achievement in the field of vertebrate paleontology”. This honor is featured in the UCLA Newsroom.
Distinguished Research Professor Peter Narins' Silver Medal in Animal Bioacoustics from the Acoustical Society of America is featured in the UCLA Newsroom.
Distinguished Research Professor Peter Narins' Silver Medal in Animal Bioacoustics from the Acoustical Society of America is featured in the UCLA Newsroom. For the full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Professor, Nandita Garud, recognized for her research on gut microbiome
Nandita Garud, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, has been named a 2021-2022 UCLA Hellman fellow and is a recipient of a microbiome, neurobiology and disease award from Scialog. Both distinctions recognize Garud for her research on methods of quantifying genomic data in the microbiome.
For more information, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Rising EEB 2nd-year PhD student Ben Tonelli was awarded an AOS Council Award at the 2021 American Ornithological Society Conference
Rising EEB 2nd-year PhD student Ben Tonelli was awarded an AOS Council Award at the 2021 American Ornithological Society Conference for the “best presentation on any topic in ornithology.” His award-winning talk was titled, "Geomagnetic disturbance associated with vagrancy in migrating landbirds."
For more information about the award, please visit American Ornithological Society Presentation Awards.
Distinguished Research Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh is the 2021 recipient of the Romer-Simpson Medal from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, for Lifetime achievement in the field of vertebrate paleontology
Distinguished Research Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh is the 2021 recipient of the Romer-Simpson Medal from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, “Lifetime achievement in the field of vertebrate paleontology”
Further quoting the Society’s Web site , "The A.S. Romer - G.G. Simpson medal, the society’s highest award, is awarded for sustained and outstanding scholarly excellence in the discipline of Vertebrate Paleontology.”
Coming full circle, the first of these awards was given in 1987 to Everett C. Olson, a professor in the UCLA Dept. of Biology.
For more information on the awards, please visit The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Distinguished Research Professor Peter Narins Receives the Silver Medal in Animal Bioacoustics from the Acoustical Society of America
Distinguished Research Professor Peter Narins Receives the Silver Medal in Animal Bioacoustics from the Acoustical Society of America. This is only the 4th silver medal ever given in Animal Bioacoustics and the first since 2012.
For more information, please visit the ASA.
For the article in the UCLA Newsroom, please visit here.
EEB PhD student, Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp, Receives an Honorable Mention in the Allee Best Student Talk Competition at the 2021 Animal Behavior Society Meeting
The Warder Clyde Allee Session for Best Student Paper Competition is held each year during the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society. The 58th Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society was held recently from August 3-6th, 2021.
EEB PhD student, Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp, receives an Honorable mention during this year's meeting for his paper and presentation, "Studying migratory behavior in parading shrimps to inform conservation and ecotourism management". For more information on the Warder Clyde Allee Competition, please visit here.
Professor Dan Blumstein Awarded the Animal Behavior Society’s 2021 Richard Buchholz Conservation Behavior Award
The Animal Behavior Society Conservation Committee established the Richard Buchholz Conservation Behavior Award in 2020. The award recognizes ABS members for their outstanding contributions to the integrative field of Conservation Behavior. The award was named to honor Richard Buchholz for his foundational and continuing work in integrating the fields of animal behavior and conservation biology. One recipient is selected annually and presented with a plaque at the ABS Awards Ceremony.
UCLA EEB's own, Professor Dan Blumstein, receives only the second allocation of this award.
For more information about the award, please visit the Animal Behavior Society webpage .
Professor Pamela Yeh Name one of five professors to receive the 2021 Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research
Five UCLA faculty members will create dynamic new courses for undergraduates thanks to the third annual Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research. The awards program, supported by the UCLA Center for Community Engagement and the Chancellor’s Office, provides recipients with individual grants of $10,000 for their projects.
Our very own Professor Pamela Yeh was named one of the five to receive a 2021 Chancellor's Award for Community-Engaged Research.
For more information on the award, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Scientists create genetic library for mega-ecosystem in Pacific Ocean
UCLA ecologist Paul Barber and colleagues from UCLA and three other institutions have created a library of DNA “barcodes” that identify 605 species in the California Current, including 275 that had not previously been catalogued. The database covers about 70% of all animals that live there, including 99.9% of monitored species that are important to conservation and fisheries. The research is published today in Molecular Ecology Resources.
More information about the study can be found in the UCLA Newsroom.
The Crested Butte News reports on a "very social" marmot that makes her way to Arizona and back home to Gothic, Colorado
The Crested Butte News reports on a very social marmot that makes her way to Arizona and back home to Gothic, Colorado. Professor Dan Blumstein, marmot momager of the project at the Rocky Mountain Biologial Laboratory, provides information on Fork Kardashian and her recent travels.
Professor Nandita Garud Named a 2021-2022 Hellman Fellow
In early 2020, the Hellman Fellows Fund provided an endowment to UCLA to establish the UCLA Society of Hellman Fellows (formerly known as the UCLA Hellman Fellows Program). The UCLA Society of Hellman Fellows will continue to provide support and encouragement for the research of promising Assistant Professors who show capacity for great distinction in their research in the UCLA College of Letters and Science and the Professional Schools (excluding the School of Medicine and the School of Dentistry). The fellowship will support research and creative activities that promote career advancement and enhance the individual’s progress toward tenure.
Our very own EEB professor, Nandita Garud, was name a 2021-2022 Fellow.
For the full list of awardees, please visit 2021-2022 UCLA Society of Hellman Fellows
Professor Nandita Garud Receives One of Six Awards from the Inaugural Year of Scialog: Microbiome, Neurobiology and Disease
Research Corporation for Science Advancement, The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, and the Frederick Gardner Cottrell Foundation are announcing awards totaling $770,000 to six multidisciplinary teams from the United States and Canada in the inaugural year of Scialog: Microbiome, Neurobiology and Disease. Each of the 14 individual researchers will receive $55,000.
The initiative brought together more than 50 scientists from a variety of disciplines to propose cutting-edge research to help transform our understanding of the gut-brain axis at the chemical, microbial, and immunological level.
Our very own EEB Professor, Nandita Garud, along with Will Ludington from the Carnegie Institution was awarded one of the six awards.
For more information on this inaugural year, please visit Six Projects Win Funding in 1st year of Scialog: Microbiome, Neurobiology and Disease".
UCLA Congo Basin Institute receives community engagement award
The UCLA Congo Basin Institute (CBI) received one of four 2021 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Scholarship Awards. This prestigious national award recognizes programs that have an exemplary record of productively engaging with communities through their teaching, research and service activities, putting knowledge and skills to work on today’s most critical problems. This award is particularly significant as it acknowledges UCLA’s commitment to community-engaged scholarship both in the region of Los Angeles and beyond, extending to sustained and reciprocal relationships with global communities and institutions.
“This just further shows that UCLA is committed to serving the community, not just on campus, but around the world,” said Tom Smith, founder and co-executive director of the institute.
To read more about the news story, please visit the UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Graduate Student, Benjamin Hà, Receives 2021 Life Sciences Excellence Award, Inclusive Excellence Award for Efforts to Promote Diversity
EEB Graduate Student, Benjamin Hà, Receives 2021 Life Sciences Excellence Award, Excellence in Promotion of Diversity & Inclusion, Inclusive Excellence Award for Efforts to Promote Diversity-PhD candidate. For more information on the 2021 Life Sciences Excellence Awards .
Professor Alison Lipman Awarded the 2021 Division of Life Sciences Excellence in Education Innovation Award
Professor Alison Lipman Awarded the 2021 Division of Life Sciences Excellence in Education Innovation Award-Lecturer, Academic Administrator or Academic Coordinator. For more information on the 2021 Life Sciences Excellence Awards .
Professor Paul Barber's Class of Undergraduates Publish Paper About Remote Learning Disparities
Undergraduates publish paper about remote learning disparities
Students in EEB Professor Paul Barber’s class studied how the pandemic affected their peers experiences with remote instruction. “One staggering statistic we found was that technology limited the ability to engage in remote instruction for 42% of first-generation and 36.6% of underrepresented minority students.
EEB Graduate Student, Fernando Postigo, Receives Best Poster Award at the Southern California Society of Parasitlogists Annual Meeting
EEB Graduate Student, Fernando Postigo of the Buth lab has received the Best Poster Award for his presentation at the annual meeting of the Southern California Society of Parasitologists.
Professor Morgan Tingley and Postdoc Casey Youngflesh's Recent Nature Publication is Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Professor Morgan Tingley and Postdoc Casey Youngflesh's recent publication in Nature,"Migratory strategy drives species-level variation in bird sensitivity to vegetation green-up", is featured in the UCLA Newsroom.
Several Department Graduate Students receive 2021 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Awards and Honorable Mentions
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.
As the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the GRFP has a long history of selecting recipients who achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional careers. The reputation of the GRFP follows recipients and often helps them become life-long leaders that contribute significantly to both scientific innovation and teaching.
This year, several of EEB's graduate students, both current and incoming, have been named among awardees and honorable mentions:
Current students
Alejandra Gamboa (Pinter-Wollman lab) – awardee
Conner Philson (Blumstein lab) – Honorable Mention
Shawn Schwartz (Alfaro) – Honorable Mention
Ricky Wolff (Garud lab) – Honorable Mention
Maddie Zuercher (Grether & Shier lab) – Honorable Mention
Incoming students
Joanna Wu (Tingley lab) – awardee
Cynthia Frausto (Nonacs lab) – Honorable Mention
For more information on the fellowship, please visit NSF GRFP. For the full list of awardees and honorable mentions, please visit here.
Professor Victoria Sork Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Eight faculty members from UCLA were elected today to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies. One of the eight is EEB's own, Professor Victoria Sork.
A total of 252 artists, scholars, scientists and leaders in the public, nonprofit and private sectors were elected to the academy today, including honorary members from 17 countries.
For more information on the newly elected members, please visit UCLA Newsroom or University of California.
Professor Brenda Larison Interviewed on The Current
Professor Brenda Larison Interviewed on The Current, "Why human activity might be making the zebra lose its stripes".
Professor Larison started noticing more zebras with aberrations in their coats: beige splotches, uneven stripe patterns so she started digging, and learned that humans might be partially responsible. She tells The Current more on the topic.
New publication in Nature by PhD student Alec Baird and Professor Lawren Sack provides insights to improve grass crop design and more accurately model the effects of climate change
Professor Lawren Sack and his lab's recent Nature publication provides insights that scientists could use not only to improve crop design but also to more accurately model the effects of climate change.
Professor Sack and PhD student, Alec Baird provide more details in the UCLA Newsroom, "Size of grass blades offers better understanding of their vulnerability to climate change".
Other news avenues have also highlighted the recent publication: Phys.org, Eurekalert, Florida News Times, Science News Daily, AZO Life Sciences , Public News, and Teknodate.
Professor Dan Blumstein's Recent co-authored publication continues to gain notoriety in other news avenues
E Magazine/The Environmental Magazine and The New Republic reports on Professor Dan Blumstein's recent co-authored publication on the urgent state-of-the-planet research.
EEB PhD Student, Gabriella Pinho, from the Blumstein and Wayne labs, featured on The New Scientist
EEB PhD Student Gabriella Pinho's recent work on epigenetic aging during hibernation is featured on The New Scientist. She was also briefly interviewed by KCBS.
Recent EEB Ph.D. student, Dan Cooper, of the Yeh/Blumstein labs featured on Alta
Recent EEB Ph.D. student, Dan Cooper, of the Yeh/Blumstein labs featured on Alta, live interview with the author and a written news piece.
Professor Brad Shaffer Featured in the UCLA Newsroom in Regards to Research Recently Published in PNAS
Professor Brad Shaffer featured in the UCLA Newsroom in regards to research recently published in PNAS.
Professor Nandita Garud Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Professor Nandita Garud featured in the UCLA Newsroom in regards to her recent awarding of the Paul Allen Distinguished Investigator award.
For the full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Lawren Sack Provides Professorial commentary on the Daily Bruin, "Wellness from Home: Students find solace in caring for plants to help overcome stresses of pandemic"
Professor Lawren Sack Provides Professorial commentary on the Daily Bruin "Wellness from Home: Students find solace in caring for plants to help overcome stresses of pandemic".
Professor Nandita Garud named a 2021 Allen Distinguished Investigator
NEW ALLEN DISTINGUISHED INVESTIGATORS WILL TACKLE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
ABOUT METABOLISM AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Awards announced today by The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group will fund research in health, disease, and
technology development all centered on the emerging field of immunometabolism
SEATTLE — Feb. 3, 2021 — Just like us, immune cells need fuel to do their jobs. Despite the tight links between
human health — including our immunity — and how our bodies process what we eat, the intersection of
immunology and metabolism remains a poorly understood area of human biology.
New awards announced today by The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, a division of the Allen Institute, aim to
improve that understanding by supporting four research projects in the emerging field of immunometabolism.
The projects, which are led by 10 new Allen Distinguished Investigators working in teams of two or three lead
investigators per award, will explore new avenues of basic biology, health, disease, and technology
development, all focused on unanswered questions about how the immune system and metabolism work
together.
In recent years, as Frontiers Group staff met with scientific experts to identify future areas of interest, the topic
of metabolism and its intersection with the immune system kept coming up, said Frontiers Group Director Kathy
Richmond, Ph.D., M.B.A. As they delved into the unknowns, Richmond and her team realized that any
significant progress in these areas could improve human health.
“In so many diseases, a tipping point is reached where entire systems in our bodies are thrown off balance.
Studying the complex and fascinating interactions between the immune system and energy metabolism will
give us a better understanding of what it means to be healthy and how it might be possible to return those
systems to balance after damage or disease,” Richmond said. “The innovative and pioneering visions of these
four teams of Allen Distinguished Investigators span a variety of approaches to tackle this exciting area of
biomedical research.”
Each award confers $1.5 million in funding over three years for a total of $6 million awarded for
immunometabolism research. The Frontiers Group, founded by the late philanthropist Paul G. Allen in 2016,
recommends funding from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to researchers around the world whose work
has the potential to accelerate scientific discoveries or launch entirely new avenues of exploration. The Allen
Distinguished Investigator program was launched in 2010 by Allen to back creative, early-stage research
projects in biology and medical research that would not otherwise be supported by traditional research funding
programs. Including the 10 new investigators announced today, a total of 92 Allen Distinguished Investigators
have been appointed.
The four new research projects include research on human disease, basic biology of the mammalian immune
system, and technology development that could impact many areas of immunology and metabolism research.
“The whole field of immunometabolism is relatively new, and it’s a great time to be studying this area because
there are also new technologies that allow for exploration of metabolic processes within cells and tissues,” said
Dan Littman , M.D., Ph.D., a professor of immunology and microbiology at NYU Langone Health. “It’s an exciting
and emerging area, and there aren’t many other avenues for funding immunometabolism research as of yet.”
Meet the new Allen Distinguished Investigators
Will Bailis, Ph.D.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Chris Bennett, M.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Ruaidhrí Jackson, Ph.D.
Harvard University
All of us are made up of trillions of cells, yet it is unclear how these cells simultaneously behave as individuals
and as part of a collective that makes up who we are. Drs. Will Bailis, Chris Bennett and Ruaidhrí Jackson are
leading a project to better understand the many links between immunity and metabolism at the scale of
individual cells, organs and the entire body. These inextricable links — how our diet affects our immune
system, and how our immune cells in turn change metabolism — tie into all aspects of human health and
disease, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Using laboratory mice, the researchers will study how
an animal’s food affects energy production inside immune cells by genetically engineering those cells to
“ignore” changes in diet. In tandem, they will study how one particular type of immune cell, known as tissue
resident macrophages, uses metabolism to govern not only its own cellular function, but the function of
tissues and the entire body.
Aida Habtezion, MD, MSc.
Stanford University
Nandita Garud, Ph.D., MS.
University of California, Los Angeles
Carolina Tropini, Ph.D.
University of British Columbia
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is a class of immune diseases that stem from chronic inflammation in the
intestines. Patients with IBD have widely varied symptoms and responses to treatment which can’t be fully
explained by human genetics. Drs. Aida Habtezion, Nandita Garud and Carolina Tropini are leading a project
to explore how patients’ immune responses, metabolism, gut microbiomes and environments may contribute
to that variability, using a registry of hundreds of IBD patient volunteers. Better understanding the details of
variation between patients, and the reasons behind that diversity, could lead to better, more tailored
treatments for this class of often crippling illnesses.
Russell Jones, Ph.D.
Van Andel Institute
Yasmine Belkaid, Ph.D.
National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease
Like all cells, our immune cells need energy from the food we eat to do their jobs. Drs. Russell Jones and
Yasmine Belkaid have recently found that T cells, an important type of immune cell that surveys the body and
detects and eliminates infected cells, use multiple kinds of fuel when they are working their hardest. Now, they
are leading a project to better understand T cells’ preferred fuel sources, uncovering which types of T-cell
metabolism are needed for optimal infection-fighting and which types might lead to immune dysfunction.
Jennifer Prescher, Ph.D.
Michelle Digman, Ph.D.
University of California, Irvine
To better understand the immune system and how it dovetails with metabolism, researchers need better
toolkits to track and manipulate multiple kinds of cells and molecules at once, over time, in a living animal.
Drs. Jennifer Prescher and Michelle Digman are leading the development of a new technique to shine
“biological flashlights” on many different immune- and metabolism-related molecules at the same time. The
technique, which they dub bioluminescent phasor, will ultimately yield a large toolkit of optical tags that can
light up multiple processes or proteins in the laboratory mouse’s immune system at once. Once complete, the
toolkit would be available for any research lab to use, opening new avenues for discoveries about the immune
system and its relationship to our diet.
About The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group
The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, a division of the Allen Institute, is dedicated to exploring the landscape of
bioscience to identify and foster ideas that will change the world. The Frontiers Group recommends funding
through award mechanisms to accelerate our understanding of biology, including: Allen Discovery Centers at
partner institutions for leadership-driven, compass-guided research; and Allen Distinguished
Investigators for frontier explorations with exceptional creativity and potential impact. The Paul G. Allen
Frontiers Group was founded in 2016 by the late philanthropist and visionary Paul G. Allen. For more
information, visit allenfrontiersgroup.org.
About the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
For more than four decades the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has focused on changing the trajectory of
some of the world's toughest problems. Founded by philanthropists Jody Allen and the late Paul G. Allen, cofounder
of Microsoft, the Foundation initially invested in community needs across the Pacific Northwest with a
focus on regional arts, under-served populations, and the environment. Today, the Foundation supports a
global portfolio of frontline partners working to preserve ocean health, protect wildlife, combat climate change,
and strengthen communities. The Foundation invests in grantees to leverage technology, fill data and science
gaps, and drive positive public policy to advance knowledge and enable lasting change.
Professor Tom Smith and Ph.D. student Kelly Barr are featured in a new National Geographic film on the Bird Genoscape Project
Professor Tom Smith and Ph.D. student Kelly Barr are featured in a new National Geographic film on the Bird Genoscape Project.
Billions of birds migrate annually across the Western Hemisphere… but if we don’t know where they go when they leave their breeding grounds, how can we protect them? By extracting DNA from individual feathers (and borrowing cutting-edge technology from the Human Genome Project) scientists can map bird migration with greater precision than ever before. The result is the Bird Genoscape Project, and it’s revolutionizing bird conservation by connecting migratory birds – and the people who care about them – across the Americas. This work was funded by the National Geographic Society.
National Geographic film - Feathers in Flight: The Bird Genoscape Project
Bird Genoscape Project video - How to make a Genoscape
Professor Van Savage Interviewed on Radio New Zealand in regards to his recent co-authored study on sleep and brain research.
Professor Van Savage Interviewed on Radio New Zealand in regards to his recent co-authored study on sleep and brain research.
Professor Brenda Larison featured in National Geographic
Professor Brenda Larison featured in National Geographic, "Spotted and oddly striped zebras may be a warning for species’ future".
Professors Blaire Van Valkenburgh and Robert Wayne, along with Postdoctoral Scholar, Alice Mouton's Recent Co-Authored Publication are Being Featured on Several News Avenues
Professors Blaire Van Valkenburgh and Robert Wayne, along with Postdoctoral Scholar, Alice Mouton's recent co-authored publication are being featured on several news avenues:
NY Times
Daily Mail
Barron's
The Conversation
Phys.org
NBC News
SCIENCE
MSN
UCLA Newsroom
Cosmos Magazine
The National
Sci Tech Daily
La Vanguardia
Sci News
Professor Dan Blumstein's' Recently Co-Authored Published Work Featured in Several News Avenues
Professor Dan Blumstein's' Recently Co-Authored Published Work in Frontiers in Conservation Science is featured in several news avenues:
The Guardian
The Conversation
Yahoo News
Common Dreams
EcoWatch
CTV News
Jerusalem Post
Xinhua.net
MSN News-The Guardian
My News LA
Reuters
MSN-Reuters
KNX 1070 Radio News
CNN
Taipei Times
Irish Times
1 News
Eurekalert
International Business Times
Sci Tech Daily
UCLA Newsroom
Spectrum News 1-city News service story
Spectrum Report-from CNN
News Hub
Science Codex
Impakter
University of California
Professor Van Savage's Co-Authored Publication Named one of UCLA's Top News Stories of 2020
Professor Van Savage's Co-Authored Publication with UCLA's Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology Professor Gina Poe in Science Advances is named one of UCLA's Top News Stories of 2020.
EEB Ph.D. student, Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp from the Blumstein lab featured in the Smithsonian Magazine
EEB Ph.D. student, Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp from the Blumstein lab featured in the Smithsonian Magazine.
EEB Ph.D. student, Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp's research featured in National Geographic
EEB Ph.D. student, Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp's research featured in National Geographic.
Professor Brad Shaffer's latest co-authored Publication in SCIENCE Continues to Trend on Multiple News Avenues
Professor Brad Shaffer's latest co-authored Publication in SCIENCE with previous postdoctoral scholar, Peter Scott, continues to trend on multiple news avenues:
KPCC November 27, KPCC November 30th, KFI online, My News LA, Telemundo, UCLA IoES, and Eurekalert.
Professor Brad Shaffer's latest co-authored Publication in SCIENCE is featured on several news outlets
Professor Brad Shaffer's latest co-authored Publication in SCIENCE with previous postdoctoral scholar, Peter Scott, is featured on several news outlets: UCLA Newsroom, KPCC, LAist, NBC Los Angeles , and Environmental News Network.
Professor Karen Sears named a 2020 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science , which is the world’s largest scientific society, named our very own Professor Karen Sears a 2020 fellow. Since 1874, the AAAS, which publishes the journal Science, has chosen members for their distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Professor Sears is one of four UCLA faculty named this year.
For full news article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professors Lawren Sack and Nathan Kraft are Named one of the World’s Most Influential Researchers according to Clarivate
Professors Lawren Sack and Nathan Kraft are named one of the 36 UCLA scientists among world’s most influential researchers. Clarivate released its annual list of the most highly cited researchers, which includes dozens of UCLA scientists across various disciplines. The list is compiled by the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate using data based on scholarly publication counts and citation indexes. The selected researchers wrote publications that ranked in the top 1% by citations in their field for that year, according to the Web of Science citation index.
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Morgan Tingley's Recent Co-Authored SCIENCE Publication Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Professor Morgan Tingley's Recent Co-Authored SCIENCE Publication Featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "Wildfires should be considered a top threat to survival of species".
For full news article, UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Ph.D. student, Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp's research featured in the New York Times
EEB Ph.D. student in the Blumstein lab, Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp's research featured in the New York Times.
UCLA EEB professor Morgan Tingley and visiting graduate researcher Austin Spence were awarded the E4 Award 2020
UCLA ecology and evolutionary biology professor Morgan Tingley and visiting graduate researcher Austin Spence were awarded the Ecography Award for Excellence in Ecology and Evolution, or E4 Award, for their paper illustrating how species’ ability to adapt to climate change is limited by many factors other than climate — including oxygen, light, pressure, pH and water availability.
For a short video, please visit Youtube-"E4 award: challenge of novel abiotic conditions for species undergoing climate‐induced range shifts"
For more information, please visit UCLA IoES.
Two EEB Graduate STEM Students Recognized for their Research and Presentation Skills at 2020 SACNAS – The National Diversity in STEM Conference
Two UCLA EEB graduate students won presentation awards at the 2020 meeting of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Yeraldi Loera of the Campbell-Staton lab won a presentation award in the field of Life Sciences, Biology (general), and Benjamin Hà of the Jacobs lab won a presentation award in the field of Life Sciences, Ecology/Evolutionary Biology. For more information please visit SACNAS.
Undergraduate Student, Cyndi Frausto, Mentored by Professor Peter Nonacs, receives a 2020 UCNRS Field Science Fellowship
Undergraduate Student, Cyndi Frausto, Mentored by Professor Peter Nonacs, receives a 2020 University of California National Reserve System (UCNRS) Field Science Fellowship. The NRS Field Science Fellowship provides financial support to UC undergraduate-faculty teams conducting scientific research in the field at NRS reserves. The fellowships enable students to focus on gaining valuable hands-on research experience under the guidance of a faculty researcher. Each $6,000 award consists of a $5,000 student stipend and $1,000 to cover project costs.
Cynthia Frausto researched how personality and cortisol levels affect learning in ground squirrels at the UC Natural Reserve System’s James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve for her 2020 NRS Field Science Fellowship.
For more information, please visit here.
Professor Van Savages Joint Sleep Research Continues to gain traction in other news avenues
Professor Van Savages Joint Research Continues to gain traction in other news avenues:
New Hampshire Union Leader, "If you do not snooze, you lose; sleep essential to brain health"
Taipei News, "If you do not snooze you lose: sleep is essential for the brain"
Professor Tom Smith moderates World War Zero biodiversity discussion
Professor Tom Smith moderated a World War Zero (WW0) Facebook Live discussion on biodiversity with:
Dr. Kristen Ruegg (Assistant Professor, Colorado State University; Assistant Adjunct Professor, UCLA IoES; Co-Director, Center for Tropical Research’s Bird Genoscape Project), Dr. Rachael Bay (Assistant Professor, UC Davis)
Conversation focused on how healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity are fundamental to life on our planet
Congo Basin Institute (CBI) Receives Grant to build a CBI Distant Learning Center on the campus of IITA in Yaoundé
The UCLA Congo Basin Institute (CBI) recently received a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to support the building of a Distance Learning and Training Center on the campus of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The Distance Learning and Training Center (DLTC), designed as a green facility by Gensler, will be a state of the art physical home for CBI and includes an energy-efficient conference center and guest house built using locally sourced materials. The DLTC will expand the educational and research offerings available to African and American scholars and government officials and will provide a forum to foster collaboration between educators, researchers, and students. African and American students will learn side by side and use state of the art geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing technology to directly address the critical needs of the Congo Basin, including food and water security, climate change and threats to biodiversity and human health. By incorporating virtual/distance learning and hands-on/experiential platforms, these facilities will provide technological and educational capacity that is lacking locally and regionally. CBI is a partnership between UCLA and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture focused on improving scientific training in Central Africa. USAID is one of the world's largest international development agencies.
For more information on the plans, please check out Gensler's webpage.
EEB PhD student of the Barber lab, Candice Cross Interviewed on her latest project on "Generation Genius"
A former Biochem PhD student at UCLA, Dr. Jeff Vinokur, developed a project called Generation Genius with the National Science Teaching Association, creating videos that go out to 1million k-8 students.
EEB PhD student, Candice Cross was Interviewed on her latest project on Generation Genius' "Lab Report with Dr. Jeff".
Check her out on the lab report (5:23) talking about Marine Biology.
Professor Paul Barber named a 2020 Academy Fellow by the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences welcomes new Fellows,
bestows annual awards
Virtual award ceremony to take place on October 13, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO (October 9, 2020) – The California Academy of Sciences is pleased to announce that 14 new members will join the ranks of the Academy Fellows, a governing group of more than 450 distinguished scientists and other leaders who have made notable contributions to science or science education and communication. Nominated by their colleagues and selected by the Board of Trustees, the Academy Fellows are partners and collaborators in the pursuit of the Academy mission to explore, explain, and sustain life. The new members will be inducted during the Fellowship's next virtual meeting on October 13, 2020. They will join such well-known Academy Fellows as Sylvia Earle, Paul Ehrlich, Jane Lubchenco, Zeray Alemseged, John McCosker, Jill Tarter, and Andrea Ghez.
During the meeting, the Fellowship will present one of its members with the Academy’s highest honor: the Fellows Medal. This honor is given to especially prominent scientists who have made outstanding contributions to their specific scientific fields. Medalists are nominated each year by the Academy Fellows and confirmed by the Board of Trustees. This year's Fellows Medal will be awarded to Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, a molecular biologist and biochemist who has made tremendous scientific contributions to our understanding of cell division and DNA replication. She won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2009 for discovering the molecular nature of telomeres—the ends of chromosomes that serve as protective caps essential for preserving genetic information—and for co-discovering the enzyme telomerase, which maintains telomere ends. Blackburn is also a champion for diversity and inclusion in the sciences, and in 2007 was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
The fellowship will also present the Distinguished Service Award, an honor that is given to scientists, staff, or other colleagues who have made critical contributions to the Academy itself. This year’s award recipient is James Shevock, who retired in 2009 from a career in public service with the U.S. National Forest Service and the National Park Service. He has contributed over 57,000 botanical specimens to the Academy herbarium, and has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers that help amplify the scientific impact of the Academy’s research and collections.
Brief biographies for the Fellows Medalist and Distinguished Service Awardee as well as each of the new Fellows are included below.
Recipient of the 2020 Fellows Medal
Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD
Professor Emerita
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
University of California, San Francisco
Throughout her long career in science, Dr. Blackburn has been a leader in researching cell division and DNA replication. She discovered the molecular nature of telomeres—the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that serve as protective caps essential for preserving genetic information—and co-discovered the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase, which maintains telomere ends. She is also known for her championing of diversity and inclusion in the sciences. Currently, Blackburn and her UCSF research team work with various cells, including human cells, with the goal of understanding telomerase and telomere biology. She and her research team also collaborate in a wide range of investigations of the roles of telomere biology in human health and diseases through clinical and other human studies.
Born in Australia, Blackburn earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Melbourne, and her PhD from the University of Cambridge in England. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department at Yale University. Blackburn has won many prestigious awards throughout her career including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Albert Lasker Medical Research Award for Basic Medical Research, and TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2007.
Recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Service Award
James R. Shevock, MS
Fellow and Research Associate
Department of Botany
California Academy of Sciences
Mr. Shevock was appointed as an Academy Research Associate in the botany department in 1983. He retired in 2009 from a public service career with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. He has contributed over 57,000 botanical specimens to the Academy herbarium, and focuses the majority of his research on China, Taiwan, and the Philippines. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and co-authored a book titled California Mosses. Six flowers and seven mosses are named in his honor including two moss genera discovered in China: Rheoshevockia and Shevockia. Shevock has been an Academy Fellows since 2007.
New Academy Fellows
Rebecca Albright, PhD
Patterson Scholar and Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Zoology
California Academy of Sciences
Dr. Albright’s research focuses on the ability of coral reefs to cope with changing environmental conditions. She has worked in academic, government, and nonprofit settings and has studied reefs around the world, from the Florida Keys to the Great Barrier Reef. She works across scales (single cells to reef-scale) and disciplines (biology, ecology, biogeochemistry) to foster a systems-level understanding of how coral reefs will fare in today's changing world. Albright’s passion for community engagement has been fostered by years working with nonprofits and citizen science organizations focusing on educating communities about coral reef conservation and management.
Paul Barber, PhD
Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Barber is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA. He earned a PhD in integrative biology from UC Berkeley and spent 3 years at Harvard University as an NSF postdoctoral fellow. Barber integrates genetics, genomics, ecology, and oceanography to understand the evolution and conservation of marine biodiversity. He is committed to diversifying science and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering, the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award, the UCLA Diversity Equity and Inclusion Award, and the SACNAS Distinguished Student Mentor Award. In 2017, he was named an HHMI Professor.
Steven Beissinger, PhD
Professor of Ecology and Conservation Biology
Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Beissinger is professor of ecology & conservation biology at UC Berkeley, where he held the Leopold Chair in Wildlife Biology, is a research associate of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and is co-director of the Berkeley Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity. His research centers on wildlife responses to global change and species’ extinctions. He has authored over 200 scientific publications and edited three books. Beissinger is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Ecological Society of America, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and American Ornithological Society, which recognized his research with the William Brewster Memorial Award.
Troy Daniels, DDS
Professor Emeritus, Orofacial Sciences, School of Dentistry
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Daniels is a San Francisco native, graduating from the UCSF School of Dentistry in 1967. He then completed a U.S. Public Health Service Internship in New Orleans and served in Alaska, providing dental care in Nome and surrounding native villages. In 1973, after completing a National Cancer Institute Fellowship, he joined the UCSF faculty with NIH-supported research and a joint appointment at the UCSF School of Medicine. Until retirement a few years ago, his work focused on both oral cancer and Sjogren’s syndrome, a systemic autoimmune disease affecting the mouth.
Robert Dudley, PhD
Chair and Professor, Integrative Biology
University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Dudley was an undergraduate at Duke University and a Marshall Scholar at the University of Cambridge, from which he received a PhD in zoology in 1987. He then lived on Barro Colorado Island in Panama for five years studying butterfly flight physiology, and since then has held faculty appointments first at the University of Texas, Austin, and currently at UC Berkeley. His research interests lie in insect flight biomechanics, comparative physiology, and the evolutionary origins of human alcoholism in primate frugivory.
Corey Garza, PhD
Professor of Marine Science, School of Natural Sciences
California State University, Monterey Bay
Dr. Garza is a professor of marine science at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). He researches the use of drones and GIS to study patterns of species distribution in marine systems. He is the director for the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Program, an NSF- and NOAA-funded program that coordinates multiple research and training programs at CSUMB. He is also actively advancing underrepresented groups in science. Garza serves on the National Board of Directors for SACNAS (Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) and the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee for the American Geophysical Union.
Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD
Founder and Executive Director, Neuroscape
David Dolby Distinguished Professor, Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Gazzaley is the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at UCSF, and the founder and executive director of Neuroscape at UCSF. Gazzaley is co-founder and Chief Science Advisor of Akili Interactive, Sensync, and JAZZ Venture Partners. He has filed multiple patents, authored over 140 scientific articles, and delivered over 675 invited presentations around the world.
Mandë Holford, PhD
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Hunter College
Dr. Holford is an associate professor in chemistry at Hunter College and CUNY-Graduate Center, with scientific appointments at the American Museum of Natural History and Weill Cornell Medicine. Her research, from mollusks to medicine, examines venoms and venomous animals as agents of change and innovation in evolution and in manipulating cellular physiology in pain and cancer. She is active in science education, advancing the public understanding of science, and science diplomacy. She co-founded Killer Snails, an award-winning EdTech learning games company. Honors include a 2020 Sustainability Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, Breakthrough Women in Science by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and NPR’s Science Friday, and Wings WorldQuest Women of Discovery Fellow. Her PhD is from The Rockefeller University.
Jeff Koseff, PhD
William Alden Campbell and Martha Campbell Professor, School of Engineering and Senior Fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment
Stanford University
Dr. Koseff joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) in 1984 and served as the founding Perry L. McCarty Director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment from 2003 to 2016. Koseff's research in environmental fluid mechanics focuses on the interaction between physical and biological systems in natural aquatic environments. Appointed Chair of CEE in 1995, he assumed the role of Senior Associate Dean of the School of Engineering from 1999 to 2002. He is the recipient of seven teaching awards from Stanford, became a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2015, and received the Richard W. Lyman Award from Stanford University the same year.
Mary McGann, PhD
Research Scientist, Micropaleontology
U.S. Geological Survey
Dr. McGann is a marine microbiologist/ micropaleontologist at the U.S. Geological Survey. Her recent scientific investigations have focused on diverse topics, among them contaminants and ecosystem health, mechanisms and impact of invasive species introductions, sediment transport in estuarine and marine realms, marine geohazards (faulting, landslides, paleo tsunamis, and methane seeps), global climate change (using both foraminifera and palynology), archaeology, whale falls, biodiversity, radiocarbon dating, defining biostratigraphic markers of the Anthropocene, and using molecular sequencing in biological identifications. Her investigations in the U.S. and abroad have furthered our understanding of the natural variability of earth processes and anthropogenic impacts on these systems.
Isabel Montañez, PhD
Distinguished Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
University of California, Davis
Dr. Montañez is a University Distinguished Professor and Chancellor’s Leadership Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis. Montañez is a paleoclimatologist whose research focuses on geologic archives of past atmospheric gas and ocean geochemical compositions and their linkages to climate and ecosystem changes. She received her PhD from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1990 and has received several awards, including the James Lee Wilson Medal for Excellence by a Young Scientist, the Laurence L. Sloss Award from the Geological Society of America, and the Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Medal from the European Geosciences Union. She is a Fellow of several professional societies and a past Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. She served as President of the Geological Society of America from 2017 to 2018.
Ana Christina Ravelo, PhD
Professor, Physical and Biological Sciences, Ocean Sciences, Institute of Marine Sciences
University of California, Santa Cruz
Dr. Ravelo received a BS in geology and a BA in anthropology from Stanford University and an MS and PhD from Columbia University. She is currently a professor of ocean sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research focuses on determining the role of ocean processes in past climate variability, including investigation of climate transitions, warm climate processes, and regional expressions of global climate change. She has held leadership roles at UCSC, the National Research Council, the National Science Foundation panels, the American Geophysical Union, and the International Ocean Discovery Program.
Dawn Summer, PhD
Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences
University of California, Davis
Dr. Sumner earned her BS from the California Institute of Technology and PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech before joining the faculty at UC Davis in 1996. Her research focuses on Earth’s early environments and microbial ecology, emphasizing the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis and its environmental effects. Sumner also studies microbial ecology in ice-covered Antarctic lakes as analogs for ancient life on Earth and possibly elsewhere in the solar system, specifically Mars, using data from NASA’s Curiosity rover. She is dedicated to curtailing racism in academic settings.
Noah Whiteman, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Biology
University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Whiteman is an evolutionary biologist — raised deep within Minnesota' boreal forest— whose research combines natural history with molecular biology to study co-evolution between hosts and parasites. His dissertation demonstrated how genomes of parasites can serve as evolutionary heirlooms of endangered Galápagos birds. Whiteman then studied plants as model hosts while an NIH postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, followed by faculty appointments at the University of Arizona and the University of California, Berkeley. His team recently used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to retrace how the monarch butterfly evolved to resist toxic host plants. Whiteman is a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow and NIH Outstanding Investigator.
About the California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is a renowned scientific and educational institution dedicated to exploring, explaining and sustaining life on Earth. Based in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, it is home to a world-class aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum, as well as innovative programs in scientific research and education—all under one living roof. When open, our hours are 9:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Saturday, and 11:00 am - 5:00 pm on Sunday. Admission includes all exhibits, programs, and shows. For reopening information, daily ticket prices, and to schedule your visit please go to www.calacademy.org or call (415) 379-8000 for more information.
About Research at the California Academy of Sciences
The Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability at the California Academy of Sciences is at the forefront of efforts to understand two of the most important topics of our time: the nature and sustainability of life on Earth. Based in San Francisco, the Institute is home to more than 100 world-class scientists, state-of-the-art facilities, and nearly 46 million scientific specimens from around the world. The Institute also leverages the expertise and efforts of more than 100 international Associates and 450 distinguished Fellows. Through expeditions around the globe, investigations in the lab, and analysis of vast biological datasets, the Institute’s scientists work to understand the evolution and interconnectedness of organisms and ecosystems, the threats they face around the world, and the most effective strategies for sustaining them into the future. Through innovative partnerships and public engagement initiatives, they also guide critical sustainability and conservation decisions worldwide, inspire and mentor the next generation of scientists, and foster responsible stewardship of our planet.
EEB Graduate Student, Emily Ryznar, awarded a California Sea Grant 2021 Fellowship
The California Sea Grant is a collaboration of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the State of California and universities across the state to create knowledge, products and services that benefit the economy, the environment and the citizens of California. They offer fellowship opportunities in research, natural resource management, and marine policy that allow graduate students to explore their interests and broaden their experience.
We are proud to announce that Professor Peggy Fong’s Graduate Student, Emily Ryznar, was awarded a California Sea Grant 2021 Fellowship.
She will serve her 12-month fellowship with the Delta Stewardship Council.
Professor Thomas Smith Featured on World War Zero
Professor Thomas Smith wrote a second op-ed piece for World War Zero .
EEB Graduate Student, Camila Medeiros, Awarded ESA's Best Student Poster in Physiological Ecology at the Annual ESA Meeting 2020
The Ecological Society of America (ESA) Physiological Ecology Section awards the "New Phytologist Poster Award" for the best student poster presentation in the field at the ESA annual meeting. The winner at this year's virtual meeting was our own EEB student, Camila Medeiros, for her poster, " Evolution of drought tolerance across California native oaks".
Professor Dan Blumstein and the “Tackling Prey Naivety Team” are a finalist for a 2020 Australian Museum Eureka Prize
Professor Dan Blumstein and the “Tackling Prey Naivety Team” are a finalist for a 2020 Australian Museum Eureka Prize. This team is one of three finalists for the "Applied Environmental Research" category.
The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are the country’s most comprehensive national science awards, honoring excellence across the areas of research & innovation, leadership, science engagement, and school science.
Presented annually in partnership with some of the nation's leading scientific institutions, government organizations, universities and corporations, the Eureka Prizes raise the profile of science and science engagement in the community by celebrating outstanding achievement.
In 2020 the Australia Museum, and all of the prize partners, are excited to mark 30 years of recognizing and rewarding outstanding achievement in science.
Winners will be announced in November.
Professor Van Savage's Recent Joint Publication Continues to Trend on several News Avenues
Professor Van Savage's Recent Joint Publication with IBP Professor, Gina Poe, Continues to Trend on several News Avenues:
Science Codex
MENAFN
Global Times
Thomson Reuters Foundation News
The Straits Times
GDN Online
The Economic Times
The Jakarta Post
CTV News
NBC Los Angeles
GEN Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News
UCLA Facebook
Science Blog
Science AAAS
Psychology Today
Live Science
AAAS
CNBC TV18
SRF
SciNews
University of California News
Professor Van Savage's Recent Publication featured in several News Avenues
Professor Van Savage's Recent Publication featured in several News Avenues:
IFL Science
SciTechDaily
Medical Xpress
Daily Mail UK
Yahoo News
Smithsonian Magazine
Reuters
New Scientist
My News LA
EurekAlert!
Cosmos
UCLA Health
MSN
Professor Van Savage featured in the UCLA Newsroom for Joint Publication in Regards to Sleep and Brain Research
EEB Professor Van Savage's joint research study with IBP Professor Gina Poe is recently featured in the UCLA Newsroom, "UCLA-led team of scientists discovers why we need sleep".
Professor Tom Smith and the Congo Basin Institute field research station Published in the latest Travel Africa Magazine
Professor Tom Smith and the Congo Basin Institute (CBI) field research station in the Cameroon rainforest Published in the latest Travel Africa Magazine
For more information on the article, please visit CBI webpage.
Professor Tom Smith featured in the September UCLA DGSOM Global Health Program Newsletter
Professor Tom Smith featured in the September UCLA DGSOM Global Health Program Newsletter in their Global Health Program (GHP) Spotlight:
"A UCLA biologist researches the connection between climate change and coronaviruses
This month we are featuring Professor Tom Smith, Founding Director of the Center for Tropical Research, Co-Director of the Congo Basin Institute, and a Professor in Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA.
As an evolutionary biologist, Professor Smith has spent the past 35 years studying tropical rainforests worldwide. His work includes how biodiversity is generated and maintained in tropical rainforests and the ecology of zoonotic diseases such as avian flu, monkeypox, Ebola, and now SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19).
GHP recently caught up with Professor Smith to learn about his ongoing research. He and several UCLA colleagues are planning to map the environmental drivers of coronavirus prevalence in bats, in order to predict and reduce the risk of future “spillover” events from bats to humans in Central Africa (e.g., consumption of bat meat, and destruction of natural environments that bring wild bats and humans into greater contact). As Professor Smith explained, “SARS-CoV-2, which likely originated in a wild animal market in China, is 96% genetically similar to a coronavirus found in horseshoe bats. Central Africa’s Congo Basin is a global hotspot for coronaviruses, and a place where bats are regularly consumed; however, there are currently no risk maps of coronavirus prevalence and where spillover events are likely.” Dr. Smith’s research will attempt to identify current coronavirus hotspots, predict spillover events under current and future climate conditions, and assess where human populations are most at risk of spillover given factors such as prevalence of animal consumption. The hope is that the results can be used to predict future spillover events across Central Africa, and therefore encourage more focused monitoring in regions at high risk for future epidemics.
For more information, read Professor Smith's recent Op-Ed on pandemics and climate change here. More information on the Congo Basin Institute can be found here."
EEB Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Postdoctoral Researcher, Amandine Gamble Continue to Gain Acclaim in Several News Avenues for Their Recent Study
EEB Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Postdoctoral Researcher, Amandine Gamble Continue to gain acclaim in several news avenues for their recent study showing N95 respirators can be decontaminated and re-used.
India Times
Yahoo News
The Press-Enterprise
International Business Times
Sci Tech Daily
News Medical.net
The Hindi Business Line
MSN
OC Register
EEB Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Postdoctoral Researcher, Amandine Gamble Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
EEB Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Postdoctoral Researcher, Amandine Gamble Featured in the UCLA Newsroom. Scientists hope new methods can mitigate the chronic shortage of personal protective equipment. For full article, please visit "Two N95 respirators CDC/Debora Cartagena N95 respirators reduce exposure to airborne infectious agents, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. HEALTH + BEHAVIOR Single-use N95 respirators can be decontaminated and used again, study finds".
EEB Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Postdoctoral Researcher, Amandine Gamble Featured in Several News Avenues for Their Study Showing N95 Respirators can be Decontaminated and Re-used
EEB Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Postdoctoral Researcher, Amandine Gamble Featured in several news avenues for their study showing N95 respirators can be decontaminated and re-used.
Daily News
EEB Graduate Student, Nicholas Russo, awarded a Fulbright-Hays Program fellowship
The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad program has awarded fellowships to nine UCLA graduate students and named two others as alternates, including the department's own Nicholas Russo, of the Thomas Smith lab.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the Fulbright-Hays program gives doctoral candidates the opportunity to engage in the “comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies, including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations and languages.” The program is designed to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the U.S.
For the full list of UCLA awardees, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Postdoctoral Researcher, Amandine Gamble Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
EEB Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Postdoctoral Researcher, Amandine Gamble Featured in the UCLA Newsroom. Scientists hope new methods can mitigate the chronic shortage of personal protective equipment. For full article, please visit "Two N95 respirators CDC/Debora Cartagena N95 respirators reduce exposure to airborne infectious agents, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. HEALTH + BEHAVIOR Single-use N95 respirators can be decontaminated and used again, study finds".
EEB Graduate Student, Emily Ryznar, Awarded ESA's Best Student Talk in Aquatic Ecology at the Annual ESA Meeting 2020
The Ecological Society of America (ESA) Aquatic Ecology Section gives out an award for the best talk in aquatic ecology presented at the annual ESA meeting by a student. At this year's 2020 virtual meeting, our very own EEB Graduate student Emily Ryznar was awarded the honor for her talk, "Rapid growth, competitive release via disturbance, and low herbivory pressure facilitate the invasion of a brown marine alga into forests of giant kelp"
Professor Paul Barber and Previous EEB PhD student, Zack Gold Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Professor Paul Barber and Previous EEB PhD student, Zack Gold Featured in the UCLA Newsroom. For full article, please visit "Tiny endangered shrimp may get big hand from environmental DNA testing".
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Featured in Smithsonian Magazine
For full news article, please visit Smithsonian Magazine.
Professor Paul Barber featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Please visit the UCLA Newsroom, Discovery opens up new path in study of marine evolution and biodiversity.
EEB PhD student Graham Montgomery was awarded a Louis Agassiz Fuertes Grant from the Wilson Ornithological Society
PhD student Graham Montgomery was awarded a Louis Agassiz Fuertes Grant from the Wilson Ornithological Society for his research on insect declines and their consequence for insectivorous birds. The Louis Agassiz Fuertes Grant is the Wilson Society’s most prestigious research award and is open to all ornithologists.
EEB MS Graduate Student, Shawn Schwartz's, is UCLA's Institute for Digital Research & Education Early Career Research Day Winner
EEB MS Graduate Student, Shawn Schwartz's, is UCLA's Institute for Digital Research & Education(IDRE) Early Career Research Day Winner. For more information, please visit IDRE "Early Career Research Day winner improves neural network training for biological research".
EEB PhD Student, Ioana Anghel, Receives Several Research Awards
Congratulations to EEB PhD Student, Ioana Anghel, of the Zapata lab, as she receives several research awards this year: one from the American Society of Plant Taxonomist and one from the Botanical Society of America.
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Featured on KCRW
For the full news piece, please visit "Superspreaders might be unknowingly driving the COVID-19 pandemic".
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Quoted in NY Times
For full article, please visit "Most People With Coronavirus Won’t Spread It. Why Do a Few Infect Many?"
Professor Thomas B. Smith featured in the UCLA Magazine
Professor Thomas B. Smith featured in the UCLA Magazine, "Hand in Hand Across Africa".
Professor Thomas Smith featured Op-Ed in World War Zero Webpage
Professor Thomas Smith featured Op-Ed in World War Zero Webpage, "Why COVID-19 Demands Action on Climate Change".
Professor Paul Barber in The Keene Sentinel
Professor Paul Barber in The Keene Sentinel, "Scientists tackle starfish plagues on Great Barrier Reef".
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Featured in Wall Street Journal
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Featured in Wall Street Journal in regards to how Covid-19 is transmitted.
Congratulations to Professors Shane Campbell-Staton, Noa Pinter-Wollman, Tonya Kane, and Ph.D. candidates, Kelsi Rutledge and Amanda Robin
Congratulations to Professors Shane Campbell-Staton, Noa Pinter-Wollman, Tonya Kane, and Ph.D. candidate, Kelsi Rutledge. They've been awarded Life Sciences Excellence Awards for this academic year.
Research Excellence Award, Assistant Professor, Shane Campbell-Staton
Educational Innovational Excellence Award, Lecturer, Tonya Kane
Educational Innovational Excellence Award, Associate Professor, Noa Pinter-Wollman
Research Excellence Award, Ph.D. Candidate, Kelsi Rutledge
Educational Innovation Excellence Award, PhD candidate, Amanda Robin
For a list of all the winners, please visit Life Sciences Excellence Award Winners.
EEB Student, Fabiola Torres-Toledo featured in Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF)
EEB student from the Buth Lab, Fabiola Torres-Toldeo, is featured in Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) "Nuestro Océano y la Costa: Latino Connections to the Ocean and Coast" report . Fabiola is featured on the front cover; pages 9, 25-26 and 38.
More than 300 UCLA scientists condemn acts of racist violence
More than 300 UCLA scientists condemn acts of racist violence including several of our departmental faculty. Please visit the UCLA newsroom to review the open letter.
Professor Daniel Blumstein's long-term marmot field project featured on NPR’s science show The Pulse
Professor Daniel Blumstein's long-term marmot field project featured on NPR’s science show The Pulse.
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Cited in a Recent Wired.com Article Regarding Covid-19
To review full article, please visit Wired.Com.
Professor Victoria Sork awarded the Molecular Ecology Prize 2020
We are pleased to announce that the 2020 Molecular Ecology prize has been awarded to Dr. Victoria Sork, Distinguished Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Dean of Life Sciences, and Director of the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at University of California Los Angeles. Throughout her career, Dr. Sork has made substantial and diverse scientific contributions to the field of molecular ecology– from working to build the foundation of landscape genetics, to pioneering the use of molecular markers in tracking plant dispersal, to unraveling the genomic and epi-genomic basis of climate adaptation in non-model organisms. With well over 100 publications, she has proven herself to be a preeminent scholar in her field for decades, while serving as a role model and mentor for many early career scientists, and as a continual advocate for increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM.
Professor Tom Smith receives the Elliot Coues Award from the American Ornithological Society
Professor Tom Smith receives the Elliot Coues Award from the American Ornithological Society. This award is given annually to “outstanding and innovative contributions to ornithological research, regardless of the geographic location of the work.”
For more about Professor Smith's recent accomplishment, please visit UCLA IoES.
EEB Graduate Student, Kelsi Rutledge, Receives a Fellowship from Department of Defense National Science and Engineering Graduate Student Fellowship (NDSEG) program
EEB Graduate Student, Kelsi Rutledge, from the Buth and Gordon lab, receives a fellowship from department of Defense National Science and Engineering Graduate Student Fellowship (NDSEG) program. This prestigious one-year fellowship sponsored by the Department of Defense has an award rate of 5%.
EEB PhD student, Gaurav Kandlikar awarded the Murray Buell Award
EEB PhD student, Gaurav Kandlikar, from the Kraft Lab, is awarded the Murray Buell Award from the Ecological Society of America (ESA) for the talk he gave at the ESA annual meeting in the summer of 2019.
For more information, please visit Ecological Society of America.
Congratulations to our Dept of EEB graduate students recognized by the NSF-GRFP program
Our Graduate Education Vice Chair, Professor Nathan Kraft, would like to announce that a number of our EEB graduate students were among the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awardees and honorable mention recipients for 2020 announced yesterday. These include:
Ashlyn Ford (honorable mention, Fong Lab)
Kenji Hayashi (honorable mention, Kraft Lab)
Aiden Howenstine (awardee, Sears Lab)
Marissa Ochoa (honorable mention, Sork and Sack Labs)
Xotchitl Ortiz Ross (honorable mention, incoming PhD student to Blumstein Lab)
Nicholas Russo (awardee, Smith Lab)
In addition to these graduate students currently in our program, there are a number of prospective students with offers to join our department as well as undergraduates who have worked with our faculty who were among those honored yesterday. Please join us in congratulating everyone who was recognized by this prestigious program!
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Featured on Several News Avenues
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Featured on Several News Avenues: Big Think, The Health Site, NBC Los Angeles , Yahoo News, News Medical, Los Angeles Times, NY Times, and EurekAlert.
Professor James Lloyd-Smith featured in UCLA Newsroom
Professor James Lloyd-Smith featured in UCLA Newsroom, "Study reveals how long COVID-19 remains infectious on cardboard, metal and plastic".
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Quoted & Cited in a Recent The Wall Street Journal Article
Professor James Lloyd-Smith Quoted & Cited in a Recent The Wall Street Journal Article, What Are the Risks of Food and Grocery Deliveries?.
Professor James Lloyd-Smith is featured on NPR
Professor James Lloyd-Smith is featured on NPR-"The New Coronavirus can live on surfaces for 2-3 days and here's how to Clean Them" and NPR-"How Long Can Coronavirus Survive on Hard Surfaces".
Portia Mira and Yu-San Yang Receives UC Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowships for 2020-2021
We are delighted to announce that two EEB students have received the UC Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowships for 2020-2021: Portia Mira (Yeh Lab) and Yu-San Yang (Grether Lab). This is a tremendous honor for them and for EEB.
Professor Jamie Lloyd-Smith Featured on The Science Show
For full interview, please visit The Science Show.
Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Former EEB Doctoral Student, Katelyn Gostic featured in Daily Bruin
For full news piece, please visit Daily Bruin.
Professor Pam Yeh featured on NATURE Careers Podcast, "How to Write a Top Notch Paper"
For full news piece, please visit NATURE Careers Podcast.
Professor Park Nobel Publishes Fifth Edition of his 50-year Plant Physiology Series
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Barbara Natterson-Horowitz featured in the UCLA Newsroom
For full article, please visit "Romeo Seeking Juliet in the Animal Kingdom"-UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Pamela Yeh is featured on The Cornell Lab's "All About Birds" Section
Professor Pamela Yeh is featured on The Cornell Lab's "All About Birds" Section, "How Juncos Changed Their Migration, Behavior, And Plumage In A Matter Of Decades".
Professor Pamela Yeh featured in Nature
Professor Pamela Yeh speaks about a population of sparrows that migrated to UCLA and her studies on them.
For full article, please visit NATURE-"Birds that make the heart sing".
Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Previous EEB doctoral student, Katelyn Gostic featured in Several News Avenues
For additional news avenues that Professor James Lloyd-Smith and previous EEB Doctoral student, Katelyn Gostic's research have been published on, please visit: Los Angeles Daily News, NBC Los Angeles, EurekAlert, MedicalExpress, Patch, , Startsat60.com , ANI, Yahoo News, The Health Site,
Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Previous EEB doctoral student, Katelyn Gostic featured in UCLA Newsroom
Professor James Lloyd-Smith and Previous EEB doctoral student, Katelyn Gostic featured in UCLA Newsroom in regards to their PLoS Pathogens research and research on travel screening for the coronavirus.
For full article, please visit, "First childhood flu helps explain why virus hits some people harder than others"
EEB Graduate Student, Kelsi Rutledge awarded the UCLA Faculty Women's Club 2019-2020 Graduate Scholarship
EEB Graduate Student, Kelsi Rutledge awarded the UCLA Faculty Women's Club (FWC) Graduate Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to her on February 4th, 2020 during the FWC scholarship dinner.
Several EEB Graduate Students & Post-doctoral Scholars Awarded 2020 La Kretz Center & Stunt Ranch Reserve Conservation Science Research Grants
Congratulations to the following EEB Graduate Students & Post-doctoral Scholars Awarded 2020 La Kretz Center & Stunt Ranch Reserve Conservation Science Research Grants:
Robert Cooper (Grether & Shaffer Labs)
Vivien Enriquez (Yeh Lab)
Zack Gold (Barber Lab)
Benjamin Ha (Jacobs Lab)
Dr. Maura Palacios Mejia (HHMI Post-Doc, Wayne Lab)
Samantha Snowden (Grether & Shier Labs)
Regina Zweng (Fong Lab)
To review the awardees bios and learn more about their projects, please visit here.
Society for the Study of Evolution's New Faculty Profile, Felipe Zapata
The Society for the Study of Evolution has a series of New Faculty Profiles that highlight and introduce up-and-coming PIs in SSE. The latest of these faculty profiles is of EEB’s own Felipe Zapata.
Co-Authored Study by Professor Victoria Sork Featured on BBC News
Co-Authored Study by Professor Victoria Sork Featured on BBC News.
Proceedings from a recent publication on Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences had researchers finding that using genetic markers of climate resilient traits are more effective than traditional seed-selection methods.
Professor Barbara Natterson-Horowitz studies animals to make better sense of humans.
For full news article, please visit UCLA Magazine.
New research led by UCLA evolutionary biologist Victoria Sork examines whether the trees being replanted in the wake of California’s fires will be able to survive a climate that is continuing to warm.
For full news article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Brad Shaffer leads $10M State-funded California Conservation Genomic Project
For full news article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Lawren Sack Named one of 2019's World's Most Influential Scientific Researchers
Professors Lawren Sack and Nathan Kraft are named one of 2019's World's Most Influential Scientific Researchers. In its annual list, The Web of Science Group, names the most highly cited researchers.
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Greg Grether honored at the Andrea L. Rich Night to Honor Teaching Award Ceremony
This year, Professor Greg Grether, was awarded one of the the Academic Senate Faculty Distinguished Teaching Awards.
For more information, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Kirk Lohmueller Interviewed on Good Morning America
Please visit, Good Morning America, for video segment on Labradoodle breeding with Professor Kirk Lohmueller.
Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh and her eLife research has been featured in several news outlets
Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh and her eLife research has been featured in several news outlets:
Phys.org, EurekAlert, Science Daily, Montana Standard, Patch, UCLA Facebook. The Bulletin, BuckRail, Boise State Public Radio.org, Stamford Advocate, The Coeur d'Alene Press, The Lewiston Tribune, and The Houston Chronicle.com.
Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Graduate Student, Kelsi Rutledge featured in Forbes and Smithsonian Magazine
For full articles, please visit Forbes and Smithsonian Magazine.
Professor Peter Nonacs Featured in a podcast discussion on Podtail
Professor Peter Nonacs featured in a podcast discussion on Podtail discussing the actual science in the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey".
For podcast, please visit here
Professor Dan Blumstein featured on NPR
For full news piece, please visit NPR.
UCLA Congo Basin Institute receives $1 million from Pritzker Family Foundation
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Graduate Students, Aji Anggoro and Benjamin Ha receive UCLA Fellowships
Congratulations to PhD candidate, Aji Anggoro (Barber lab) for being awarded the 2019-20 Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association Int'l Scholarship. This award is only granted to 2 UCLA international graduate students annually.
Congratulations to PhD student, Benjamin Ha (Jacobs lab) for being awarded the 2019 UCLA Affiliates Scholarship. Affiliates Scholarships are awarded to promising UCLA graduate students who are involved with campus and community activities and have career and research goals.
Postdoctoral Fellow Deborah Bird featured on "The Science Times"
For full article, please visit The Science Times.
Professor Paul Barber, Doctoral Candidate Zack Gold , and Postdoctoral Researcher Emily Curd Featured in UCLA Newsroom
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom-"New environmental DNA Program makes conservation research faster, more efficient".
Professor Bob Wayne and Graduate Student, Annabel Beichman featured in UCLA Newsroom
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom "Sea Otters have low genetic diversity like endangered species, biologists report".
Professor Tom Smith and the Ebony Project featured in National Geographic
For full article, please visit here.
Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp (WiN) from the Blumsteins lab Receives Several poster presentation awards
Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp (WiN) from the Blumstein’s lab Receives 1st place for his poster presentation award from the International Conference on Biodiversity (IBD2019) organized in Bangkok, Thailand (May 22-24, 2019).
He also has been awarded the 1st runner up poster presentation award from the Crustacean Society Mid-year meeting 2019 held in Hong Kong, China (May 26-30, 2019).
Professor Paul Barber Awarded the UCLA Gold Shield Faculty Prize 2019
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Max D. Murray (Buth lab) has received a 1st Place Award for his poster presentation at the recent annual meeting of the Southern California Society of Parasitologists (SCSP)
Max D. Murray (Buth lab) has received a 1st Place Award for his poster presentation at the recent annual meeting of the Southern California Society of Parasitologists (SCSP) on May 3, 2019.
Professors Shane Campbell-Staton and Nathan Kraft are awarded 2018-2019 Life Sciences Excellence Awards
This year, Professor Nathan Kraft was awarded the LS Excellence Award in “Excellence in Promoting Diversity & Inclusion. Professor Shane Campbell-Staton was awarded the LS Excellence Award in “Excellence in Educational Innovation (Untenured Faculty)”.
For full list of awardees, please visit here.
Professor Greg Grether receives 2019 UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award-Undergraduate Mentorship Award
Professor Greg Grether receives the 2019 UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA) - Undergraduate Mentorship Award.
In 2004, a DTA for Distinction in Undergraduate Research Mentorship was implemented to honor an Academic Senate faculty member who has provided superb mentorship to undergraduate students engaged in research and/or creative, scholarly projects. The new award was recommended by the Joint Taskforce on Undergraduate Education in Research Context.
For full recipient list for this year's DTA awardees, please visit Here.
Congratulations Several EEB graduate students for their 2019 NSF GRFP awards and honorable mentions
Congratulations to the following graduate students for their 2019 NSF GRFP awards and honorable mention:
Alec Baird in the Sack lab, Honorable Mention
Elizabeth Karan, Alfaro lab, Awardee
Whitney Nakashima, incoming to Alfaro and Smith labs, Awardee
Dyonishia Nieves, incoming to Sack lab, Awardee
Professor Tom Smith featured on Forbes.com
Professor Tom Smith featured in an article on Forbes.com
Tom Smith on CBS Morning News: UN Biodiversity Report
UCLA’s Tom Smith spoke with CBS about a new United Nations report that says nature is essential for our existence and a good quality of life, but point to a stark warning: humans are transforming the planet’s natural habitat at an unprecedented rate. Jonathan Vigliotti reports.
For news piece, please visit CBS News
First-Year PhD student, Kelsi Rutledge, advised by Drs. Don Buth and Malcolm Gordon, has a recent article published in the Journal of Morphology
For full article, please visit Here.
Professor Peter Kareiva featured in the UCLA Newsroom
For full article, please visit here
Professor Shane Campbell-Staton featured in the UCLA Daily Bruin
For full article, please visit UCLA Daily Bruin.
Professor Noa Pinter-Wollman interview with Robyn Williams featured on Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Science Show
Audio of interview can be found here.
Dr. Peter Narins wins national merit award for his research
For full article, please visit:UCLA Newsroom
Dr. Leryn Gorlitsky receives a Unit 18 Professional Development award for 2018-19
For more information in regards to the award and other recipients, please visit here: UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Shane Campbell-Staton featured in the UCLA Newsroom
Please see full article here: UCLA Biology Class Uses Superheroes to Help Students Sift Fact from Fiction.
Professors Pamela Yeh and Van Savage, as well as Postdoctoral Researcher, Elif Tekin's remarkable NSF- and NIH/NCATS-funded npj Systems Biology and Applications antibiotics research was UCLA's #4 Top Story of 2018
To review article, please see top banner Here
EEB Postdoctorate student, Evan McCartney-Melstad, featured in a Q&A in Knowable Magazine
For full article, please visit Knowable Magazine.
Professor Tom Smith Featured in UCLA newsroom
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professors Hubbell, Kareiva, Kraft, and Sack are named one of 40 UCLA Scholars that are one of the most highly cited researchers according to Clarivate Analytics
The world’s most influential scientific researchers in 2018 include 40 UCLA scholars.
In its annual list, Clarivate Analytics names the most highly cited researchers — those whose work was most often referenced by other scientific research papers for the preceding decade in 21 fields across the sciences and social sciences. Four of these UCLA scholars are our department's own Professors Peter Kareiva, Nathan Kraft, Lawren Sack and Professor Emeritus Steve Hubbell.
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
UCLA EEB's Undergraduate Program named one of CollegeMagazine.com's top ten schools for Marine Biology
UCLA EEB's Undergraduate Program named one of CollegeMagazine.com's top ten schools for Marine Biology. For full article, please visit Here.
Professor Paul Barber's Collaborative Work on Seafood Fraud Featured in Several News Avenues
For full articles, please visit Phys.org, Yahoo News, Eurekalert.
Professor Paul Barber featured in the UCLA Newsroom
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom-UCLA Researchers and Partners Work with Sushi Restaurants to Reduce Seafood Fraud.
Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh awarded the Prestigious Joseph T. Gregory Award
Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh was awarded the prestigious Joseph T. Gregory Award from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. The Gregory Award honors outstanding service to the welfare of the society.
Professor Noa Pinter-Wollman featured on Science Friday
For full news piece, please visit Science Friday.
Congratulations to EEB Doctoral Candidate, Tiara Moore for her article published in the upcoming Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin
Congratulations to EEB doctoral candidate, Tiara Moore (Fong lab), for her article, “ The only Black person in the room” which will be published in the upcoming Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin. From 2015-2018, Tiara has served as a Student Board Member on the ASLO Board of Directors.
EEB Ph.D student, Amanda Robin, Featured on STEAM Sunday on CBS2/KCAL9 news
Squirrel Gazer featured on CBS 2/KCAL 9 local Los Angeles news on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) Sunday.
For full news piece, please visit CBS 2/KCAL 9.
Alumnus Morton La Kretz donates additional $15 million for UCLA Botany Building
Following a $5 million donation he made in 2017, UCLA alumnus and longtime supporter Morton La Kretz has given an additional $15 million to fund the ongoing renovation of the campus’s Botany Building.
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professors Pamela Yeh and Van Savage, as well as Postdoctoral Researcher, Elif Tekin's remarkable NSF- and NIH/NCATS-funded npj Systems Biology and Applications antibiotics research featured in several News Avenues
Professors Pamela Yeh and Van Savage, as well as Postdoctoral Researcher, Elif Tekin’s remarkable NSF- and NIH/NCATS-funded npj Systems Biology and Applications antibiotics research featured in several News Avenues
UCLA Newsroom
UCLA Health
Medical News Today
Health Europa
FARS News Agency
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Prensa Latina
SCIENMAG The Health Site EurekAlert!
Economic Times Health World
Phys.org
Drug Target Review
Daily World
ZME Science
Business Standard
Science Codex
The Telegraph
Daily Mail UK
Yahoo
Science Daily
MSN.com
CBS Los Angeles
IFL Science
Science Alert
IOL
Live Science
Yahoo News
U.S. News and World Reports
WEB MD
Health Day
University of California
Mirror
Daily Bruin
Professor Emeritus J Lee Kavanau Passes Away at the Age of 96
It is with sorrow that we report that EEB Professor Emeritus J Lee Kavanau passed away on Sunday, August 12. Prof Lee was 96, and passed away peacefully with family present.
Professor James Lloyd-Smith and lab featured in Nature
For full article in regards to Professor James Lloyd-Smith, his lab, in particular, EEB graduate student Katelyn Gostic, please visit Nature.
EEB Postdoctoral Researcher, Gary Bucciarelli, and EEB Professor, Brad Shaffer featured in the UCLA Newsroom
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Noa Pinter-Wollman featured on Daily Bruin
For full article, please visit Daily Bruin.
Professor Noa Pinter-Wollman featured on EurekAlert and Phys.org
For full articles, please visit EurekAlert and Phys.org.
Professor Noa Pinter-Wollman featured in the UCLA Newsroom
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Dan Blumstein featured on NPR Morning Edition
For full news piece, please visit NPR Morning Edition
"Using DNA barcoding to track seafood mislabeling in Los Angeles Restaurants" is one of the top 20 downloaded papers of 2017 in Conservation Biology Journal
"Using DNA barcoding to track seafood mislabeling in Los Angeles restaurants", published in Conservation Biology, was one of the journal’s top 20 most downloaded recent papers of 2016-2017.
For one grad and his dad a happy twist on like father, like son
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom
Congratulations to MS student, Elizabeth Reid-Wainscoat (Grether lab), for being one of two inaugural UCLA CIRTL-Certified Scholars
Congratulations to MS student, Elizabeth Reid-Wainscoat (Grether lab), for being one of two inaugural UCLA CIRTL-Certified Scholars. Elizabeth completed the Scholar Level certification for UCLA's Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) - a prestigious national program sponsored by UCLA Graduate Division in collaboration with CEILS supporting the professional development of UCLA graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. CIRTL Certification requires training and coursework in effective and inclusive teaching practices, culminating in a teaching-as-research project.
Professor Tom Smith and Co-Authors featured in the UCLA newsroom
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Tai Michaels Wins First Place
Tai Michaels Wins First Place in the Environmental Division of Los Angeles Science Fair and First place in the California State Science Fair
Tai Michaels, a high school student working with UCLA La Kretz Center postdoc Justin Valliere in Phil Rundel’s lab, won first place in the Environmental Division of the Los Angeles Science Fair and first place in the Calfornia State Science Fair! Congratulations to Tai, Justin, and Phil for a great job developing and executing this project aimed at understanding the effects of decreasing fire return intervals on chaparral vegetation.
Tai Michaels Wins First Place in the Environmental Division of Los Angeles Science Fair and First place in the California State Science Fair
Tai Michaels Wins First Place in the Environmental Division of Los Angeles Science Fair and First place in the California State Science Fair
Tai Michaels, a high school student working with UCLA La Kretz Center postdoc Justin Valliere in Phil Rundel’s lab, won first place in the Environmental Division of the Los Angeles Science Fair and first place in the Calfornia State Science Fair! Congratulations to Tai, Justin, and Phil for a great job developing and executing this project aimed at understanding the effects of decreasing fire return intervals on chaparral vegetation.
Professor Michael Alfaro featured in UCLA Newsroom
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
EEB Lecturer, Tonya Kane, honored with professional development award
For full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom.
Professor Michael Alfaro lab published in Nature Ecology & Evolution
For full article, please visit Nature Ecology & Evolution.
EEB Doctoral Candidate, Zack Gold, Featured in the UCLA Newsroom
For the full article, please visit UCLA Newsroom
Botanist Margaret Lewis Passes Away at the age of 98
Botanist Margaret Lewis, wife of the late UCLA plant evolutionary biologist and Life Science Dean Harlan Lewis, died quietly in November at the age of 98. Harlan passed away in 2008. A researcher herself with an undergraduate degree from Pomona College and a masters degree from UC Berkeley, Margaret joined the UCLA Herbarium staff in 1945, and it was there that she and Harlan met. Many of us were privileged over the years to visit the remarkable garden oasis they created at their home in Rustic Canyon, Pacific Palisades, where they grew hundreds of species of plants from all over the world. Thanks to the kindness of the Lewis family, many of these rare species have been moved to a new life in the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA.
Professor Blumstein's long-term marmots study featured in many articles
For more information about this research, please visit UCLA Newsroom , New York Times, ,The Verge, Phys.org, EurekAlert, UCLA Health, ZME Science
Professor Tom Smith Recently Published in Science
For information about his recently published study, please visit UCLA IoES.