EEB Core Faculty Research Themes
Research Themes
Below are definitions of the research themes of EEB Core Faculty, followed by a table listing all EEB Core Faculty and their individual research interests and themes. Click on the research themes listed for a faculty member to see all the faculty members in that theme’s cohort.
Behavioral Ecology
Behavioral Ecology (Integrative Animal Behavior) is the study of the evolutionary basis for animal behavior due to ecological pressures.
Community Ecology
Community Ecology is the study of how populations of species organize and interact with each other and the environment.
Conservation Biology/Restoration Ecology
Conservation Biology/Restoration Ecology is the study of biodiversity and how to sustainably protect, manage, and restore degraded habitats.
Ecosystems/Landscape Ecology
Ecosystems/Landscape Ecology is the study of the dynamics of ecological processes through time across a variety of spatial scales.
Evolutionary Ecology
Evolutionary Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environments from an evolutionary perspective.
Evolutionary Genomics
Evolutionary Genomics is the study of genome evolution.
Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology
Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology is the study of evolutionary relationships among organisms, and the mechanisms and patterns that drive the evolution of those relationships.
Physiological Ecology
Physiological Ecology is the study of relationships between the physiology of organisms and their adaptation to environmental conditions.
Population Ecology
Population Ecology is the study of population dynamics over space and time and how populations interact with the environment.
Population & Quantitative Genetics
Population & Quantitative Genetics is the study of genetic differences within and between populations and assessment of variability of continuous phenotypes.
| Name | Title | Dept | Research Interests | Research Themes |
| Alvarado-Bremer, Jaime | Professor | Marine Biology | Conservation and population genetics of large pelagic fishes | Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Antony-Babu, Sanjay | Assistant Professor | Plant Pathology & Microbiology | Plant-microbe interactions | Community Ecology |
| Armitage, Anna | Professor & Interim Dept Head | Marine Biology | Coastal ecosystem ecology and management of restored and impacted habitats | Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Ecosystems/Landscape Ecology Community Ecology |
| Athrey, Giri | Associate Professor | Poultry Science | Quantitative genetics and functional genomics, birds and disease vectors | Evolutionary Genomics Population & Quantitative Genetics Population Ecology Ecosystems/Landscape Ecology |
| Ausprey, Ian | Assistant Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Functional & demographic mechanisms underlying biodiversity change across environmental and Anthropogenic disturbance gradients | Community Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Bapst, David | Insructional Assistant Professor | Geology & Geophysics | Paleobiology, morphological systematics, macroevolution, fossil record of marine invertebrates | Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Community Ecology Evolutionary Ecology |
| Barboza, Perry | Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Consequences of life history and environmental change on the nutrition of wild mammals; policies for conservation of wildlife | Physiological Ecology |
| Behmer, Spence | Professor | Entomology | Insect physiology and behavior, including their ecological and evolutionary bases | Behavioral Ecology Physiological Ecology |
| Belanger, Christina | Assistant Professor | Geology & Geophysics | Biotic responses to environmental change; paleoecology; paleoenvironments | Community Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Evolutionary Ecology |
| Blackmon, Heath | Associate Professor Associate Dept Head of Graduate Studies | Biology | Evolutionary genomics, quantitative genetics, character evolution, and applied phylogenetics | Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Brightsmith, Donald | Professor | Veterinary Pathobiology | Ecology and conservation of macaws and parrots | Behavioral Ecology Community Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Population Ecology |
| Butler, Chris | Instructional Associate Professor | Biology | Effects of climate change on the phenology and distribution of organisms | Community Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Population Ecology |
| Cai, James | Associate Professor | Veterinary Integrative Biosciences | Evolutionary biology and physiology, with emphasis on evolution of complex phenotypes | Evolutionary Genomics Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Casola, Claudio | Associate Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Evolutionary genomics of genes and transposable elements in conifers | Evolutionary Genomics |
| Chappell, Thomas | Assistant Professor | Plant Pathology & Microbiology | Epidemiology, ecology, and coevolution of plant-enemy systems | Evolutionary Ecology Community Ecology Population Ecology |
| Conway, Kevin | Associate Professor & Curator of Fishes | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Systematic ichthyology; phylogenetic and comparative anatomy of ray-finned fishes | Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Criscione, Charles | Professor & Associate Dean, Graduate and Professional School | Biology | Population genetics of metazoan parasites | Evolutionary Ecology Evolutionary Genomics Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Davis, Brian | Assistant Professor & Director Founder, Exotic Genome Repository | Veterinary Integrative Biosciences | Genomic variation in post-domestication/wild populations and heritable disease implications; heritable disease in domestic and wild mammals, post-domestication genome structural evolution, X chromosome inactivation, evolutionary pressures on neoplastic transformation | Evolutionary Genomics Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| de Ruiter, Darryl | Professor & Dept Head | Anthropology | Ecology and evolution of the human lineage, with a particular focus on origin of genus Homo | Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Duell, Eric | Assistant Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Plant-soil-microbial interactions, plant ecology, community ecology, grassland ecology, phylogenetic patterns of mutualistic relationships | Community Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Feagin, Rusty | Associate Professor & Curator of Fishes | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Responses of beach, dune, and wetland ecosystems to global change | Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology |
| Fitzgerald, Lee | Professor & Curator | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Mechanisms underlying persistence and disappearance of species and communities | Community Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology Evolutionary Ecology Population Ecology |
| Fitzpatrick, Courtney | Assistant Professor | Biology | Influence of social environments on trait evolution | Evolutionary Ecology Population Ecology |
| Foroughirad, Vivienne | Assistant Professor | Marine Biology | Behavioral ecology and genetics of cetaceans | Behavioral Ecology Population Ecology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Fujiwara, Masami | Associate Professor Associate Dept Head, Graduate & Undergraduate Programs | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Effects of life history variation on population and community dynamics; statistical ecology; theoretical ecology | Population Ecology |
| Gonder, Katy | Professor & Dept Head | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Spatial biodiversity patterns, conservation strategies, evolutionary and ecological mechanisms contributing to diversity. | Population Ecology Evolutionary Ecology |
| Grace, Jacquelyn | Assistant Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Ecophysiology and behavior of birds | Behavioral Ecology Physiological Ecology |
| Gursky, Sharon | Professor Biology Anthropology Program Coordinator | Anthropology | Behavioral ecology and conservation of non-human primates | Behavioral Ecology Evolutionary Ecology Population Ecology |
| Hamer, Gabriel | Professor | Entomology | Ecology of infectious diseases of humans, wild animals, and domestic animals | Community Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology Population Ecology |
| Hamer, Sarah | Professor Director, Schubot Center Richard Schubot Endowed Chair & Associate Wildlife Biologist | Veterinary Integrative Biosciences | Ecology and epidemiology of wildlife disease | Community Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology |
| Helms, Anjel | Assistant Professor | Entomology | Chemical ecology, tritrophic and plant-herbivore interactions | Behavioral Ecology Evolutionary Ecology Physiological Ecology |
| Hurtado-Clavijo, Luis | Associate Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Evolutionary origins, patterns and maintenance of biodiversity | Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Evolutionary Ecology Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Jiao, Wenzhe | Assistant Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Ecosystem functioning response to natural disturbances | Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology |
| Kaufman, Phillip | Professor & Dept Head | Entomology | Veterinary and livestock entomology, insecticide resistance, biological control, integrated pest management | Community Ecology Population Ecology |
| Keene, Alex | Professor & Dept Head | Biology | Neurogenetics and behavior, genetic and evolutionary basis of sleep regulation in invertebrates and fish | Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Behavioral Ecology |
| Kitchen, Sheila | Assistant Professor | Marine Biology | Host-microbe interactions, comparative and functional genomics, coral reef conservation | Evolutionary Ecology Evolutionary Genomics Physiological Ecology |
| Lawing, Michelle | Associate Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Evolutionary responses of species and communites to environmental change | Community Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Light, Jessica | Professor & Curator of Mammals | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Evolutionary and ecological assessments of host-parasite associations | Evolutionary Ecology Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Marshall, Christopher | Professor | Marine Biology | Comparative functional organismal biology and evolutionary adaptation | Evolutionary Ecology Physiological Ecology |
| Mateos, Mariana | Associate Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Evolution of host-symbiont associations and phylogeography of freshwater organisms | Evolutionary Ecology Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Medina, Raul | Professor | Entomology | Population genetic aspects of pest species and their natural enemies | Conservation Biology Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Merlin, Christine | Associate Professor & Presidential Impact Fellow | Biology | Circadian biology | Behavioral Ecology |
| Miglietta, Maria Pia | Associate Professor | Marine Biology | Evolution, genetics, and ecology of Hydrozoa (Cnidaria) | Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Motta, Erick | Assistant Professor | Entomology | Ecology and evolution of insect-microbiome interactions, impact of environmental stressors on insect-associated microbiomes, honey bee microbiome | Community Ecology Evolutionary Ecology Physiological Ecology Population Ecology |
| Murphy, William | Professor & Asst Dean for Research and Graduate Studies | Veterinary Integrative Biosciences | Mammalian phylogenetics and evolutionary genomics | Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Pepper, Alan | Professor | Biology | Phenotypic plasticity and adaptive evolution in terrestrial plants | Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Evolutionary Ecology Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Physiological Ecology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Perkin, Josh | Associate Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Ecology and conservation of freshwater fishes; riverine landscape ecology | Community Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology |
| Quigg, Antonietta | Sr. Assoc. VP Research & Grad. Studies, TAMUG Regents Professor | Marine Biology | Elemental dynamics, physiology, and community ecology in coastal ecosystems | Community Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology Physiological Ecology |
| Rangel, Juliana | Professor | Entomology | Apiculture; population, disease and reproductive biology of honey bees | Behavioral Ecology (Integrative Animal Behavior) Physiological Ecology Population & Quantitative Genetics Population Ecology |
| Raymond, Anne | Professor | Geology & Geophysics | Plant paleoecology, paleobiogeography and evolutionary history | Community Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Evolutionary Ecology Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Rodrigues, Antonio M.M. | Assistant Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Social evolution and altruism, demography and life history evolution, multilevel selection and intergroup cooperation, host-symbiont interactions, behavioral ecology and conservation | Behavioral Ecology Evolutionary Ecology Population Ecology |
| Roelke, Daniel | Professor | Marine Biology | Lower foodweb dynamics of aquatic ecosystems; interactions between biota and physicochemical environment | Community Ecology Population Ecology |
| Rogers, William | Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Plant-animal interactions, population dynamics, community assembly rules, and ecological restoration | Community Ecology Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology |
| Schulze, Anja | Professor & Dept Head | Marine Biology | Species distributions, dispersal and local adaptation of marine invertebrates | Evolutionary Genomics Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Smotherman, Michael | Professor | Biology | Physiology and evolution of vocal motor pathway in mammals | Behavioral Ecology Physiological Ecology |
| Spalink, Daniel | Assistant Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Plant systematics and biogeography | Evolutionary Ecology Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Strader, Marie | Assistant Professor | Biology | Marine molecular ecology focused on mechanisms of organismal responses to the environment | Evolutionary Ecology Evolutionary Genomics Physiological Ecology |
| Stronza, Amanda | Professor Co-director, ABS | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Community-based conservation, human-wildlife conflict, sustainable development | Conservation Biology / Restoration Ecology Population Ecology |
| Sword, Gregory | Regents Professor Charles R. Parencia Chair | Entomology | Insect, plant & microbial ecology | Behavioral Ecology Physiological Ecology Population & Quantitative Genetics Population Ecology |
| Tarone, Aaron | Professor Associate Dept Head, Undergraduate Education Director, Forensic & Investigative Sciences Program | Entomology | Genomic studies of development and population biology in flies | Evolutionary Genomics Physiological Ecology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| Tomberlin, Jeffrey | Professor AgriLife Research Fellow Presidential Impact Fellow Director, NSF Center for Environmental Sustainability Through Insect Farming | Entomology | Ecology and biology of flies associated with decomposing matter | Behavioral Ecology Community Ecology Physiological Ecology |
| Vargo, Ed | Professor & Endowed Chair | Entomology | Urban and structural entomology | Behavioral Ecology Population & Quantitative Genetics Population Ecology |
| Veldman, Joseph | Associate Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Ecology of savannas and forests, fire ecology, tropical biology and conservation | Community Ecology Conservation Biology/ Restoration Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology |
| Voelker, Gary | Professor & Faculty Curator of Birds | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Systematics and biogeography of birds | Evolutionary Ecology Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology Population & Quantitative Genetics |
| West, Jason | Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Terrestrial ecosystem ecology, plant-environment interactions, and global environmental change | Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology Physiological Ecology |
| Wicksten, Mary | Professor | Biology | Behavior, classification and ecology of decapod Crustacea, plus adaptive coloration in marine organisms | Behavioral Ecology Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology |
| Wilcox, Brad | Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Understanding hydrologic processes on shrublands | Community Ecology Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology |
| Winemiller, Kirk | University Distinguished Professor Regents Professor Faculty Fellow | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Ecology and evolution of fishes, community ecology, and aquatic ecosystems | Community Ecology Evolutionary Ecology Population Ecology |
| Wu, X. Ben | Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Landscape ecology and undergraduate ecology education | Ecosystems / Landscape Ecology |
| Yorzinski, Jessica | Associate Professor | Ecology & Conservation Biology | Animal behavior, sensory ecology, animal communication, conservation | Behavioral Ecology (Integrative Animal Behavior) Evolutionary Ecology |