Seminar Series

EEB hosts a weekly seminar series at 3:30 p.m. Thursdays during the academic year in the classroom in the EEB Hub - 1440 BPS (and occassionally in room 1420 BPS across the atrium from the EEB Hub when large crowds are expected). Throughout the year, the seminar committee solicits nominations of leading scholars whose research appeals to our diverse EEB community (link to nomination form). In the spring, the seminar committee invites speakers from this nomination pool for the next academic year.

The seminar series contains four special lecture types (nominated by EEB members): the Spartan Eminent Lecture by a prominent EEB leader outside of MSU; the Distinguished Alumni Lecture by an EEB alum with a celebrated research career; up to two Notable Dissertation Lectures by graduating EEB students to share their outstanding dissertation research; and up to two Career Exploration Panels with speakers discussing their career paths outside of academia.

Questions can be directed to the committee co-chair: Elizabeth Heath-Heckman and Chris Blackwood.

Fall 2025

September 11

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EEB Town Hall

Join your fellow EEB members to learn about the many exciting activities to come during the new academic year!

September 18

When robust phenotypes are evolvable phenotypes

Nate Hardy

Auburn University

Host: Hannah Burrack

September 25

Understanding soil community responses to global environmental change

Matt McCary

Rice University

Host: Lauren Sullivan

October 2

Reconciling contingency and complexity in the evolution of behavior

Ahvi Potticary

Northern Michigan University

Host: Heather Eisthen

October 9

The major consequences of micro-evolution

Mike Travisano

University of Minnesota – St. Paul

Host: Rich Lenski

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI LECTURE

October 16

Testing the blueprint of understory bird extinctions in the tropics

Jared Wolfe

Michigan Technological University

Host: Bruna Rodrigues do Amaral

October 23

Butterfly wing patterns: Genetics, evolution, and development

Robert Reed

Cornell University

Host: Brooke Jeffery

October 30

Precision silviculture: Using LiDAR to inform thinning practices

David Carter

Forestry Department, Michigan State University

Host: TBD

November 6

How poison frogs do not poison themselves

Harold Zakon

University of Texas

Host: Jason Gallant

November 13

Harnessing evolutionary principles to improve biological control

Marianna Szucs

Michigan State University

Host: Henry Chung

November 20

An empiricist's journey in using ecological theory

Tess Grainger

University of Guelph

Host: Chris Klausmeier

December 4