Cornell University Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Cornell University Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Name	Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Parent	Cornell University
Established	19th century
Type	Academic department
City	Ithaca
State	New York
Country	United States

Cornell University Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is an academic unit within Cornell University focused on organismal biology, biodiversity, and the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape life. The department integrates teaching, fieldwork, and laboratory research across scales from molecules to ecosystems, and collaborates with institutions such as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Boyce Thompson Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, The Nature Conservancy, and Smithsonian Institution. Faculty and students engage with regional partners including Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and international networks like the Long Term Ecological Research Network and Darwin Initiative.

History

The department traces its intellectual roots to 19th‑century natural history at Cornell University when figures associated with the institution contributed to collections and curricula alongside contemporaries at Harvard University, University of Michigan, and Yale University. Early faculty worked with collectors linked to the American Museum of Natural History and corresponded with naturalists connected to the Royal Society and the Linnean Society of London. Over the 20th century the unit evolved alongside developments at institutions such as Carnegie Institution for Science, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, adopting genetics and ecology perspectives influenced by work at University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago, and University of Oxford. The department’s trajectory intersects major movements and awards in biology, including the Nobel Prize laureates’ paradigms, the rise of the Modern Synthesis, and participation in federally funded programs from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Academic programs

Undergraduate curricula connect to degree programs in the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Arts and Sciences with course offerings that complement majors at Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, cross‑register with programs at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and include field courses modeled on expeditions like those run by the Marine Biological Laboratory and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Graduate pathways award Ph.D. and M.S. degrees and participate in interdisciplinary training in coordination with centers such as the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell Atkinson Scholars Program, and the David R. Atkinson Center. Students may pursue joint degrees or certificates with units such as Biometry and Statistics, Entomology, Neurobiology and Behavior, and international exchanges with universities like University of Cambridge, Australian National University, and ETH Zurich.

Research and faculty

Faculty research spans evolutionary genetics, community ecology, behavioral ecology, conservation biology, phylogenetics, and ecosystem ecology. Investigators publish alongside collaborators at Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Davis, and University of British Columbia. Active projects include phylogeography using methods developed in labs associated with Theodosius Dobzhansky‑inspired lineages, quantitative genetics influenced by work at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, microbial ecology connected to Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, and climate‑impact studies in partnership with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change contributors. Faculty have received honors from organizations such as the National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, MacArthur Fellows Program, and the Guggenheim Foundation.

Facilities and collections

The department leverages campus resources including the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library, the Plantations and Natural Areas network on the Cornell University campus, and herbarium holdings comparable to collections at the New York Botanical Garden and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Laboratory suites contain equipment used in genomics workflows developed in collaboration with the Broad Institute and imaging facilities that mirror capabilities at Allen Institute for Brain Science. Field stations and preserves affiliated with the department include properties managed in cooperation with Finger Lakes National Forest stakeholders, longer‑term monitoring sites linked to the Long Term Ecological Research Network, and marine collaborations with institutions like the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences.

Graduate training and mentorship

Graduate training emphasizes dissertation research, grant writing, and professional development aligned with programs at the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program and career preparation consistent with postdoctoral trajectories at places like Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Johns Hopkins University. Mentorship frameworks draw on best practices promoted by the Council of Graduate Schools and include teaching apprenticeships, collaborative lab rotations modeled after systems at European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and participation in workshops organized with partners such as the Ecological Society of America and Society for the Study of Evolution.

Outreach and public engagement

The department engages public audiences through citizen‑science initiatives similar to those of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and educational partnerships with regional museums such as the Sciencenter and the Cayuga Nature Center. Programs for K–12 outreach align with statewide efforts by the New York State Education Department and collaborate with conservation NGOs like Audubon Society chapters, The Nature Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund affiliates. Faculty and students contribute to policy forums and media coverage alongside organizations including National Geographic and Science Magazine.

Notable alumni and faculty

Alumni and faculty have included researchers and leaders affiliated with institutions such as the National Academy of Sciences, Royal Society, MacArthur Fellows Program, and universities like Harvard University, Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, Stanford University, and University of Chicago. Individuals have contributed to major works and initiatives associated with the Modern Synthesis, the Human Genome Project, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and conservation programs supported by International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Category:Cornell University