The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology celebrated its 25th anniversary with a major Anniversary Science Symposium on Friday, May 8, 2026, in Ann Arbor, drawing more than 200 attendees to honor the department’s first quarter-century and the much longer history of ecology and evolution at Michigan.

The event brought together faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends of the department for a full day of talks, reflections, reunions, posters, and celebration. The symposium highlighted both the department’s deep historical roots and its continuing role in shaping the future of ecology and evolutionary biology.

The day opened with welcoming remarks from the department’s chair, Nate Sanders, followed by reflections from John Vandermeer, PhD ’68, and Deborah Goldberg, two scholars whose careers and influence have helped shape generations of ecological research and teaching at U-M.A central theme of the symposium was the extraordinary reach of Michigan-trained scientists. Alumni returned from institutions across the country to share how their time at U-M shaped their research, careers, and understanding of the natural world. Douglas Futuyma, PhD ’69, of Stony Brook University, reflected on “How U of M’s Department of Zoology shaped my career,” connecting the present-day department to its earlier foundations in zoology. Robert Colwell, PhD ’69, affiliated with the University of Colorado and the University of Connecticut, offered a look back with “Those were the days,” recalling an earlier era of ecological and evolutionary discovery at Michigan.

The program also showcased the intellectual breadth of the department’s alumni community. Joan Strassmann, BS ’74, of Washington University in St. Louis, spoke on “How to choose an important research question,” offering a perspective on the art of asking questions that matter. Trevor Price, PhD ’84, of the University of Chicago, revisited “The Finch Investigation Unit 1977–1984,” while Carla Cáceres, BS ’91, of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, described “What Michigan made possible.” David Tilman, BS ’71, PhD ’76, of the University of Minnesota, traced a path “From Algae to the Earth,” reflecting on how Michigan taught him to ask big questions.

The symposium also placed special emphasis on the University of Michigan’s museums and research collections, and their central role in ecological and evolutionary discovery. Richard Prum, PhD ’89, of Yale University, gave a talk titled “Phylogeny and behavior at the UMMZ: Pop-tickee-yeah!” celebrating the connection between behavior, evolutionary history, and museum-based science. Alison Davis Rabosky, director of the U-M Museum of Zoology, spoke on “The UMMZ: preserved for good,” highlighting the enduring scientific value of zoological collections for understanding biodiversity past, present, and future.

Several talks highlighted the department’s botanical and plant science legacies, including the continuing importance of collections-based research at Michigan. Thais Vasconcelos, director of the U-M Herbarium, spoke on “The stories that 1.75 million specimens can tell,” underscoring how herbarium collections preserve irreplaceable records of biodiversity and provide powerful tools for studying evolution, ecology, climate change, and the history of life. John Freudenstein, PhD ’85, of The Ohio State University, reflected on “Roots of a career: Botany at Michigan in the 1980s,” while Charles Davis, BA ’97, of Harvard University, spoke on “Rooted in Michigan: the mentors and museums that opened my eyes to plants.” Rosemary Glos, PhD student in EEB, presented current research in “Trapped, pierced, and poisoned: testing for synergisms in plant defense,” demonstrating the continuing vitality of plant-focused research in the department.

The program also featured talks that looked forward, showing how EEB research continues to address major scientific questions in ecology, evolution, climate change, and behavior. Aimée Classen of the University of Michigan presented “Warming temperatures decouple interactions between plants and soil microbes,” highlighting the consequences of global change for ecological relationships belowground. Siliang Song, PhD ’25, spoke on “Adaptive tracking with antagonistic pleiotropy results in neutral molecular evolution,” representing the next generation of EEB scholars advancing evolutionary theory.

Other speakers reflected on scientific communication, collaboration, and the evolution of the department itself. Catherine Badgley of the University of Michigan shared “EEB on the TED stage: my experience giving a TEDx talk,” offering insight into bringing ecological and evolutionary ideas to broader audiences. Prosanta Chakrabarty, PhD ’06, of Louisiana State University, spoke on “The budding of 21st century naturalists and the first EEB cohort,” connecting the department’s early years to the training of a new generation of naturalists. Judie Bronstein, PhD ’86, of the University of Arizona, examined “Cooperation at the cutting edge: EEB in the 1980s,” while David Queller, PhD ’83, of Washington University in St. Louis, presented “Social (R)evolution,” bringing evolutionary perspectives to questions of social behavior and cooperation.

Together, the talks painted a vivid picture of the department’s intellectual lineage: from zoology and botany to modern ecology and evolutionary biology; from field stations and museum collections to molecular models and global change experiments; from foundational natural history to urgent questions about climate, biodiversity, and the future of life on Earth.

The day concluded with a poster session and cocktail party, giving attendees a chance to share memories, reconnect with colleagues, and celebrate the research of current students and scholars. The atmosphere throughout the event was part symposium, part reunion, and part homecoming. Although the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is celebrating 25 years as a department, the symposium made clear that its roots at Michigan extend much deeper. Generations of U-M scientists have helped define the fields of ecology, evolution, systematics, behavior, conservation biology, botany, zoology, and biodiversity science. The May 8 celebration honored that history while also looking ahead to the department’s next chapter.

As EEB enters its next 25 years, the questions its scholars pursue are more important than ever and the anniversary symposium offered a powerful answer to how we can proceed: by bringing together generations of scientists, students, teachers, and mentors. The University of Michigan Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology continues to be a place where big questions are asked, lasting discoveries are made, and the next generation of biologists and evolutionary thinkers begins its work.

Go Blue — and go biodiversity.