Cornell Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Some beautiful scenes from far above Cayuga's waters courtesy of Cornell University ...

Post-doc Bryan MacNeil from EEB's Smith lab awarded the 2026 Botanical Society of America's Impact Award for his work with disabled botanists -- congratulations, Bryan!

https://botany.org/home/awards/special-funds-and-awards/bsa-impact-award.html

Otherworldly thunder of Atlantic sturgeon inspires awe...

EEB prof Alex Flecker co-authors study: "When a team of researchers recorded a low thundering underneath the surface of the Hudson River, they thought they were hearing the muffled rumble of trains.

A closer look, and listen, led to a much more interesting discovery: the thunder came from Atlantic sturgeon – an iconic and endangered species – spawning in the depths of the river."

Otherworldly thunder of Atlantic sturgeon inspires awe | Cornell Chronicle The finding gives New York state another tool to locate and understand the behavior of the endangered Atlantic sturgeon, an iconic species decimated by overfishing.

We are delighted to share that the Cornell University Board of Trustees has appointed Jed Sparks a Horace White Professor, effective 1 July 2026; Please join us in congratulating Jed!

📷 Jed in Hawaii

Adjunct professor in our department and James S. McDonnell Distinguished University at Professor Princeton University, Simon Levin elected to The Royal Society! Congratulations Dr. Levin...

Simon Levin elected to Royal Society Levin, Princeton's James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, is among the 93 scientists around the world named fellows of the Royal Society.

EEB's Michelle Smith in Cornell University news!

Conference aims to bridge divides in undergraduate education:
https://ecologyandevolution.cornell.edu/news/conference-aims-bridge-divides-undergraduate-education

“The idea is to bring undergraduate institutions together to answer interdisciplinary education questions that span multiple institution types,” said Michelle Smith, senior associate dean for undergraduate education in the College of Arts & Sciences and Distinguished Professor of Arts & Sciences in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

📸 Michelle Smith, left, and Alexandra Werth, right, two faculty involved in the upcoming conference; photo from the original article by Charissa King-O'Brien.

EEB's Steve Ellner, the Horace White Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the CCornell Universitynews!

How ‘bacterial zombies’ play a role in immunity, evolution | Cornell Chronicle Microbes that cause an infection remain biochemically active after they die, continuing to trigger a host’s immune system while also making the immune response less effective.

More accolades going out to our graduate students -- please join us in congratulating them!

The Robert H. Whittaker award, given in recognition of the best oral presentation made by a graduate student at the Annual Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Student Symposium, was presented to Jackson Phillips.

The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Book Award, given in recognition of the best oral presentation by a beginning ecology and evolutionary biology department/field graduate student at the Annual Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Student Symposium, went to Rachael Shippee.

The Lamont Cole Award, given for an outstanding paper by a graduate student of a Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology faculty member or joint appointee, was presented to Bryce Robinson.

Our department is delighted to announce this academic year’s Teaching Assistant award recipients, and to recognize the outstanding contributions our graduate students have made to teaching across the department and Cornell University
Please join us in congratulating the following award winners:

CALS Outstanding Teaching Award — Kaci Zarek
Department TA Award — Jarrod Fyie
A&S Russell Family Teaching Award — Jackson Phillips

These honors reflect the exceptional dedication, skill, and impact our TAs bring to their teaching and mentorship.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University
Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences

Updated Spring 2026 seminar series details!