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The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, in collaboration with the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology and Herbarium, advances our understanding of the principles that govern the structure, function, and evolution of biological systems through innovative research, education, and community engagement. This work is critical for enabling knowledge-based decision making to address environmental and societal challenges, and we strive to conduct it in an environment that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and respectful, enabling every person to do their best work. Our goal is to be a national leader forresearch, training, and education in ecology and evolutionary biology by using evolutionary, ecological, and organismal expertise to answer fundamental questions about the origin, history, and maintenance of biodiversity and ecological function at the level of molecules, organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems. To achieve this mission, we:
●conduct research that contributes uniquely to biosciences at the U-M through expertise in the origin, evolution, and ecology of diverse organisms in varied environments;
●provide individualized, culturally aware, mentorship in research for trainees ranging from undergraduate students to postdoctoral fellows in our laboratories and field sites;
●teach classes focused on many different levels of biological organization using evidence-based best practices, including active learning and learning goals aligned with equitable assessments;
●integrate computational and mathematical approaches into our educational and research programs, training students to develop and use quantitative methods in their work;
●build, safeguard, study, and share world-class biological collections comprising the diversity of life on Earth and reflecting its changes over time;
●engage with a global network of biodiversity repositories to foster understanding and teaching of the origin and maintenance of biodiversity and to inform its conservation;
●connect fundamental, “basic science” research with more applied work in the broader biological, health, and environmental sciences; and
●support professional development of all members of EEB to achieve their career goals.
The department comprises over 30 faculty members with diverse research interests in the following areas:
- Biogeography and paleobiology
- Ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry
- Evolution of behavior, life histories, and morphology
- Evolutionary genetics and genomics
- Global change biology and sustainability
- Phylogenetics and phylogeography
- Population and community ecology
A number of our faculty have joint appointments in:
They are affiliated with programs such as:
A number of additional faculty with appointments in the following units are affiliated with our department and contribute to our intellectual diversity and teaching strength.
