Faculty

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a long tradition of excellence in ecology and evolutionary biology. From the early 1900's with such scientists as Stephen A. Forbes and Victor E. Shelford to today, our faculty and graduate students have made major contributions to these disciplines. For faculty research interests, see research areas

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Ainsworth, Lisa
Assistant Professor, Plant Biology and USDA

ainswort@uiuc.edu
Research: Plant molecular and physiological responses to climate change; leaf growth dynamics
Ambrose, Stanley H.
Associate Professor,
Anthropology
ambrose@uiuc.edu
Research: Archeology of modern human origins in East Africa; later Pleistocene population history; reconstructing early hominid environments with stable isotopes
Augspurger, Carol
Professor, Plant Biology
carolaug@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Ecology and reproductive biology of tropical tree populations

B

Batzli, George O.
Professor Emeritus, Animal Biology
g-batzli@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Population, community, and behavioral ecology of mammals
Beasley, Val R.
Professor,
Veterinary Biosciences
vbeasley@cvm.uiuc.edu
Research: Veterinary, wildlife, and ecological toxicology
Bell, Alison M.
Assistant Professor, Animal Biology
alisonmb@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Evolution of behavior, behavioral genomics
Berenbaum, May R.
Professor, Entomology
maybe@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Chemical interactions between insects and host plants and implications for community organization
Berlocher, Stewart H.
Professor, Entomology
stewartb@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Speciation and host utilization of herbivorous insects
Brawn, Jeffrey D.
Program Director
Professor,
Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences and Animal Biology
jbrawn@illinois.edu
Research: Effects of ecological disturbance on conservation of avian populations and communities; comparative demography of temperate and tropical birds

C

Cáceres, Carla E.
Associate Professor, Animal Biology
caceres@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Population, community and evolutionary ecology; life-history evolution; ecology of infectious disease; limnology
Cameron, Sydney
Associate Professor, Entomology
scameron@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Application of phylogenetics to social insect evolution and ecology
Cheeseman, John M.
Professor,
Plant Biology
jcheese@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Control and integration of resource acquisition and allocation in plants
Cheng, Christina
Associate Professor, Animal Biology
c-cheng@uiuc.edu
Research: Molecular evolution of fish antifreeze protein genes; evolution of antifreeze function and paleobiogeography of polar regions

Chick, John

Adj Assistant Professor,Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (Illinois Natural History Survey)

chick@inhs.uiuc.edu

Research: Ecology of large rivers, particularly Mississippi and Illinois rivers; population dynamics & community interactions freshwater fishes, life history stages & general aquatic ecology

D

Dalling, James W.
Associate Professor,
Plant Biology
dallingj@life.uiuc.edu

Research: Community ecology of tropical forests
Davis, Adam
Assistant Professor, Crop Sciences
asdavis1@uiuc.edu
Research: Making weed management in field crops more dependable, more profitable for farmers, and less likely to have negative impacts on environmental quality and non-target organisms
Dawson, Jeffrey O.
Professor, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
jdawson2@uiuc.edu
Research: Symbiotic nitrogen fixation by actinorhizal plants
DeLucia, Evan H.
Professor, Plant Biology
delucia@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Physiological ecology of vascular plants; climate change
DeVries, Arthur L.
Professor, Animal Biology
adevries@uiuc.edu
Research: Physiological ecology of polar fishes; evolution of biological antifreeze systems
Dietrich, Christopher H.
  Affiliate, Entomology; Associate Professor, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences (Illinois Natural History Survey)
dietrich@inhs.uiuc.edu
Research: Systematics, morphology, and evolutionary biology of leafhoppers and treehoppers; biodiversity and conservation of grassland ecosystems

Dietze, Michael
Assistant Professor, Plant Biology

mdietze@igb.uiuc.edu

Research: Forest community and ecosystem ecology, ecological forecasting and model-data fusion

Douglas, Marlis R.

Illinois Natural History Survey; Affiliate, Animal Biology, and Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

mrd@inhs.uiuc.edu

Research: Conservation genetics, molecular ecology, biodiversity, biogeography, vertebrate natural history, conservation of fishes

Douglas, Michael E.

Illinois Natural History Survey; Affiliate, Animal Biology, and Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

med@inhs.uiuc.edu

Research: Molecular and quantitative ecology; conservation biology and genetics; multivariate and geometric morphometrics; biodiversity identification and classification; vertebrate natural history; museum curation
Downie, Stephen R.
Professor, Plant Biology
sdownie@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Plant molecular systematics and evolutionary biology

E

Endress, Anton G.
Professor, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
aendress@uiuc.edu
Research: Restoration ecology and physiological plant ecology
Epifanio, John
Affiliate, Illinois Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences (Natural History Survey)
epifanio@uiuc.edu
Research: Conservation biology, molecular ecology, and fish biology

F

 
Fuller, Becky
Assistant Professor, Animal Biology
fuller@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Evolution of color patterns and color vision, sexual selection and mating systems, fish biology

G

Garber, Paul A.
Professor, Anthropology
p-garber@uiuc.edu
Research: Cognitive aspects of foraging, behavioral ecology, and mating systems of New World primates

H

Hanks, Lawrence M.
Associate Professor, Entomology
Research: Ecological interrelationships between plants, herbivorous insects, and their natural enemies in ecosystems dominated by humans
Hannon, Bruce M.
Professor,
Geography
bhannon@uiuc.edu
Research: Modeling ecological, economic, energy systems, conservation, resource utilization
Herricks, Edwin E.
Professor, Civil Engineering
herricks@uiuc.edu
Research: Effects of contaminants and environmental alterations on communities
Heske, Edward J.
Associate Professor,
Animal Biology (Natural History Survey)
eheske@uiuc.edu
Research: Mammalian population and community ecology; conservation biology
Hill, Walter R.
Associate Professor,
Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences (Natural History Survey)
whill@inhs.uiuc.edu
Research: Aquatic ecology, freshwater phycology and primary production, aquatic-terrestrial interactions, stream ecology, ecological energetics, freshwater invertebrates
Hu, Feng Sheng
Professor,
Plant Biology
fshu@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Ecosystem ecology and quaternary ecology; global climatic change

J

Jain, Atul K.
Assistant Professor, Atmospheric Sciences
jain@atmos.uiuc.edu
Research: Development of mathematical models of the atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere to address environmental issues
Johnson, Kevin P.
Affiliate, Animal Biology and
Entomology (Natural History Survey)
kjohnson@inhs.uiuc.edu
Research: Host-parasite coevolution; avian and insect systematics

K

Kent, Angela
Assistant Professor, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
akent@uiuc.edu
Research: Ecology of microbial communities involved in ecosystem processes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, microbial ecology and human and animal health

L

Leakey, Andrew
Assistant Professor,
Plant Biology
leakey@uiuc.edu
Research: Molecular and Physiological regulation of plant responses to the environment
Levin, Geoffrey A.
Adjunct Assistant Professor,
Plant Biology (Natural History Survey)
glevin@inhs.uiuc.edu
Research: Plant systematics
Long, Stephen P.
Professor,
Plant Biology and Crop Sciences
stevel@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Genetic variation in plant responses to atmospheric change and pollution; environmental physiology of C4 photosynthesis; models of plant responses to temperature and atmospheric change

M

Malhi, Ripan

Assitant Professor, Anthropology

malhi@uiuc.edu

Integrates population genetics, phylogenetics, ancient DNA analysis, and field research in collaboration with Native American communities. Use of tools from molecular biology and population genetics; American Southwest and Central Mexico.
Marcot, Jonathan
Research Assistant Professor, Animal Biology
jmarcot@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Biologic diversification, particularly morphologic, molecular and taxonomic evolution of fossil and living artiodactyl mammals; Paleobiology; Evolution of biologic complexity; Phylogenetic methods

O

 
Onstad, David
Associate Professor, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
onstad@uiuc.edu
Research: insect and pathogen ecology and evolution; population ecology; landscape ecology; systems ecology; ecological modeling; population genetics and insect behavior

P

Paige, Ken N.
Professor, Animal Biology
k-paige@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Evolutionary ecology; conservation biology
Philipp, David P.
Affiliate,
Animal Biology (Natural History Survey)
philipp@uiuc.edu
Research: Natural resource conservation genetics; reproductive behavior in fishes
Phillips, Christopher A.
Affiliate,
Animal Biology (Natural History Survey)
chrisp@inhs.uiuc.edu
Research: Evolutionary biology of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles

R

Rhodes, Justin S.

Assistant Professor, Psychology

jrhodes@uiuc.edu

Experimental evolution of voluntary behavior in vertebrates
Robertson, Hugh M.
Professor, Entomology
hughrobe@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Insect molecular biology; molecular evolution
Robinson, Gene
Professor, Entomology
generobi@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Mechanisms and evolution of social behavior in honey bees

S

Sass, Greg G.

Adjunct, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, Illinois Natural History Survey

ggsass@uiuc.edu

Fish ecology, fisheries management, ichthyology, large river ecology
Schneider, Daniel W.
Associate Professor,
Urban & Regional Planning
ddws@uiuc.edu
Research: Aquatic invertebrate ecology; ecology of invasive species; environmental history
Schooley, Robert L.
Assistant Professor, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences

schooley@uiuc.edu
Research: Landscape ecology, metapopulations, wildlife conservation, animal movements
Sears, Karen
Assistant Professor
, Animal Biology
ksears@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Evolutionary developmental biology, particularly combining paleontology, developmental biology and genetics to examine the developmental mechanisms that drive morphologic diversification in mammals
Seigler, David S.
Professor,
Plant Biology
seigler@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Role of plant secondary compounds in biological interactions; chemical ecology
Shearer, Carol A.
Professor,
Plant Biology
cshearer@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Ecology of freshwater saprobic fungal communities
Suarez, Andrew
Assistant Professor,
Animal Biology and Entomology
avsuarez@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Invasive species, notably the causes and consequences of
invasion of natural areas by the Argentine ant.
Suski, Cory
Assistant Professor,
Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
suski@uiuc.edu
Research: Conservation, physiology and ecology of freshwater fishes.

W

Wahl, David H.
Affiliate,
Animal Biology (Natural History Survey)
d-wahl@uiuc.edu
Research: Aquatic ecology; fisheries management
Wander, Michelle
Associate Professor, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
mwander@uiuc.edu
Research: Management impacts on soil organic matter characteristics
Warner, Richard E.
Professor, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
dickw@dogwood.itcs.uiuc.edu
Research: Population ecology and management of wild vertebrates
Weatherhead, Patrick J.
Professor, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences and
Animal Biology
pweather@uiuc.edu
Research: Behavior, ecology, and conservation of snakes and birds
Wenny, Dan
Adjunct, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences (Natural History Survey)
dwenny@inhs.uiuc.edu
Research: Ecology and conservation of grassland birds; prairie/savanna ecology and restoration; plant-animal interactions

Whitaker, Rachel
Assistant Professor,
Microbiology

rwhitaker@life.uiuc.edu

Research: Microbial evolutionary ecology; population genomics; biogeography; horzontal gene transfer; effects of disturbance on microbial populations; Archaea
Whitfield, Charles
Assistant Professor, Entomology
charlie@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Molecular mechanisms and molecular evolution of social behavior, using social insects as a model; natural variation in individual behavior; high throughput genotyping and gene expression analyses
Whitfield, James B.
Professor, Entomology
jwhitfie@life.uiuc.edu
Research: Systematics and ecology of parasitoid wasps; phylogenetic aspects of coevolution between parasitoids, hosts and associated viruses; molecular phylogenetics