Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) at Iowa State University.

Founded in 2003, EEOB brought together under one roof faculty and students with similar interests to work together on important questions in ecology and evolution, using a wide range of approaches and technologies, including fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and computational analyses. 

EEOB has many active research programs and opportunities for student interest in conservation biology, ecological and evolutionary genomics, population, community, and ecosystem ecology, quantitative genetics, and other traditional organismal disciplines such as taxonomy.  The 28 faculty, 13 post-doctoral research associates and staff, and 50 graduate students are housed in Bessey Hall, where the hallways are lined with research displays highlighting, for example, the evolution of the eye in mollusks, sex determination in turtles, the genetic make-up of sponges, the restoration of grasslands, and the great diversity of tropical bamboo species. 

Faculty in EEOB are linked through students and research programs to many other departments within the life sciences, as well as to supporting disciplines in the physical and computational sciences.  The diverse knowledge of the EEOB faculty provides unique opportunities for undergraduate students majoring in Biology, Genetics, and Environmental Science, to whom we offer a rich and cutting-edge curriculum.

If you have any questions about programs or opportunities in EEOB, please contact us at 515-294-0133.  We look forward to serving you.

Graduate Student Spotlight

PhD Candidate, Chelsea Berns, receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are in the early stages of their graduate study. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) invests in graduate education for a cadre of diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation.

For more information, visit https://www.fastlane-beta.nsf.gov/grfp/Login.do

News & Updates

"Genomic expression dominance in allopolyploids" published in BMC Biololgy

PhD Candidate, Ryan Rapp and Dr. Johua Udall and EEOB Department Chair, Dr. Jonathan Wendel's paper has invoked commentary in related journal.

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Commentary

Bigger is not always better

Iowa State animal behaviorist Clint
Kelly, however, is proving that’s
bigger is not always better. Kelly, an assistant professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology, studies the mating habits of a large nocturnal insect
called a weta.

Full Article

EEOB Postdoc, Jennifer Neuwald, featured on Year of Science

Year of Science has gathered profiles of practicing evolutionary scientists.

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Iowa State undergraduates present their research projects at annual Capitol event

From the antimicrobial effect of common plant extracts to the upper-air flow patterns of floods in the Central Plains, 23 Iowa State University undergraduate students have lots to talk about when they present their research to legislators and others during the fourth annual "Research in the Capitol." The event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, March 9, in the rotunda of the State Capitol building in Des Moines. Michael Rausch, of Dr. Diane Debinski's lab, will presnt on "Assessing effects of fire and grazing on prairie insect biodiversity".

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Environmental Studies Enrollment Soars

An article in the New York Times examines the increase in enrollment for environmental studies programs. EEOB Faculty member, William Crumpton, discusses a similar trend at Iowa State University.

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Turtles alter nesting dates due to temperature change says ISU researcher

Fred Janzen, a professor in ecology, evolution and organismal biology, has studied turtle nesting habits and also accumulated research going back decades in order to track the habits of the turtles to find out when they make nests and lay eggs.

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Iowa Efforts to Reduce Gulf Hypoxia Earns Awards, Iowa State Has Role

A cooperative effort to reduce the loss of nitrate and phosphorus from Iowa farm fields has earned national recognition. Iowa State University researchers play a key, supporting role in the ongoing effort to reduce hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

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