Evolutionary Biology Graduate Track of EEOB
In the list below, "CFM" indicates Cooperating Faculty Member in the EEOB graduate program. These faculty are officially members of EEOB, and can advise students in EEOB as well as through their home departments or other UCR graduate programs with which they may be affiliated. For faculty listed without the CMF designation, students would be admitted through the home department program. In any case, prospective students should discuss admissions options with potential advisors.
The research interests of the graduate track in Evolutionary Biology encompass evolutionary ecology and population genetics, behavioral ecology, molecular systematics, and evolutionary physiology. We are also concerned with the application of knowledge from these disciplines to problems in biological control and conservation biology. Members of the Evolutionary Biology track frequently interact and collaborate with other areas of graduate research specialization, including the graduate programs in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience and Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, as well as the Ecology and Physiology tracks within EEOB. The GGB and CMDB graduate programs also include faculty with interests in evolutonary biology who are not listed here.
Current research in evolutionary biology uses techniques from mathematics, statistics, computer science, and molecular biology to supplement field and laboratory studies. Students consult with their guidance committee to determine the coursework appropriate for their research interests. Ph.D. students are also expected to gain a broad understanding of the whole domain of evolutionary biology through a series of graduate courses that integrate the history of the field with current controversies and new discoveries. Accordingly, all Ph.D. students take a course in Evolution and courses from two of the three areas of Ecology, Behavioral Ecology, and Population Genetics. Although Masters students are not required to take these graduate courses, most elect to take some of them.
Research projects of graduate students in Evolutionary Biology at UCR include field studies, laboratory studies, and purely theoretical work. The proximity of Riverside to a variety of different habitats, plus the availability of the extensive UC Natural Reserve System, facilitates the study of a wide variety of natural populations and communities.
Research interests of the faculty in Evolutionary Biology are quite diverse in terms of subject and taxon. Current research programs include theoretical and experimental population and quantitative genetics, population and community ecology, conservation biology and landscape ecology, life history evolution, sexual selection and behavioral ecology, evolutionary interactions of hosts and parasites, systematics, molecular evolution, biophysical ecology, ecological aspects of energy acquisition and utilization, and the physiological ecology of thermoregulation and osmoregulation. Students coming to Riverside may have already identified a faculty mentor; others may be interested in the research programs of several faculty. These students choose a mentor later, focusing their interests through reading, discussion and laboratory rotations. In either case, we expect applicants to read carefully the research summaries of our faculty, and look at selected faculty publications, so that they have some insight into the research environment we can provide.
Faculty in the Evolutionary Biology track:
More information, including representative publications and electronic mail address, is available on each faculty member. Prospective graduate students should contact faculty members with interests similar to their own early in the application process.
- Allen, Mike - Professor of Biology and Plant Pathology (joint appointment)
Director of the Center for Conservation Biology
Altshuler, Doug - Assistant Professor
Carde, Ring - Professor (Entomology, CFM)
Chappell, Mark - Professor
Droser, Mary - Professor (Earth Sciences)
Ellstrand, Norm - Professor (Botany & Plant Sciences)
Fairbairn, Daphne - Professor
Garland, Ted - Professor
Gatesy, John - Associate Professor
Hammond, Kim - Associate Professor
Hare, Dan - Professor (Entomology, CFM)
Hayashi, Cheryl - Associate Professor
Heraty, John - Professor (Entomology)
Hughes, Nigel - Professor (Earth Sciences)
Luck, Bob - Professor (Entomology)
Maslov, Dmitri - Associate Professor
Nunney, Len - Professor
Paine, Tim - Professor (Entomology, CFM)
Redak, Rick - Professor (Entomology, CFM)
Reznick, David - Professor
Roff, Derek - Professor
Rotenberry, John - Professor
Director of the Natural Reserve System for UCR
Saltzman, Wendy - Assistant Professor
Sassaman, Clay - Professor
Springer, Mark - Professor
Stouthamer, Richard - Professor (Entomology, CFM)
Visscher, Kirk - Associate Professor (Entomology)
Walton, Bill - Professor (Entomology, CFM)
Zuk, Marlene - Professor
Last updated 18 Oct. 2007 by T.G.