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The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is a dynamic and friendly place, populated by students, faculty and expert staff who work together to understand the patterns and processes that structure ecological systems, and drive evolutionary change over all time scales.
Central to our values, our department is committed to antiracism, and to be a safe workplace without harassment or discrimination of any sort, and to be as inclusive as possible. See the webpages in this section.
We work to understand the biology of species and their interactions with the environment in the broadest sense. We value science and education grounded in the natural history of organisms, communities and ecosystems as a means to decipher patterns across geography and the tree of life. As new methods allow us to gain insight into biological mechanism and function, we seek to refine fundamental concepts, to integrate findings into novel theory, and to contribute to solutions for environmental challenges.
Cornell researchers have developed an online module, running just over an hour in length, that can be offered as a way to instill concepts of critical thinking early in a student’s academic journey.
The 12 early-career scholars will pursue research in the sciences, social sciences and humanities.
Researchers are plumbing the depths of the largest and deepest of New York’s Finger Lakes to explain the source of its famous booming sounds.
With a 2024-2025 Innovative Teaching & Learning Grant, A&S professors collaborated with others to develope an AI tool to foster student metacognitive skills around teamwork in STEM classes.
Tadpole species that lost their lungs through evolution never re-evolve them, even when environmental change would make it advantageous.
The team found a significant uptick in the number of articles published after 2013 that focused on core concepts and competencies suggested in a seminal report.
With support from Cornell Atkinson, graduate students mentored undergraduates to conduct summer research on methane mitigation, food security and climate forecasting.
Ethan Duvall, an inaugural Semlitz Family Sustainability Fellow, has launched a nonprofit aimed at protecting biodiversity and culture in the Amazon Rainforest.