Two EEB Presidential Postdoctoral Fellows poised for interdisciplinary collaboration

An early-career ecologist will be the next MSU Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior.

Chia Hsieh will be the 2024-2025 academic year fellows, announced EEB Director Elise Zipkin. This marks the fourth cohort in a successful program that has increased the breadth and potential of research embracing ecology, evolution, and behavior at MSU

“As we welcome our fourth round of presidential postdocs we are settling into the great position of building upon fantastic success,” Zipkin said. “Welcoming outstanding researchers to the MSU EEB community will continue what is becoming a tradition of stimulating and exciting collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity.”

Hsieh is finishing doctoral work at the Rice University  Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology as a broad-thinking ecologist. Her work uses large datasets to investigate the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping spatial patterns of biodiversity. Her proposed work at MSU will integrate community ecology in evolution to study patterns of bird biodiversity, working with Elise Zipkin in integrative biology and Fred Janzen at Kellogg Biological Station in the departments of fisheries and wildlife and integrative biology.

Hsieh’s community engagement initiative will include a monthly journal club bridging ecology and evolution, along with workshops on quantitative tools in community ecology.

“MSU’s EEB program continues to foster innovative community-engaged scholarship across the fields of ecology, evolution, and behavior,” said MSU Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko. “We are excited to welcome Chia to the university as she embarks upon their collaborative and cross-disciplinary research with MSU scholars.”

The MSU Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior is funded through a joint effort initiated by the provost, the vice president for research and innovation, the graduate school, the College of Natural Science, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the College of Engineering. The fellowship aims to continue building academic excellence within the EEB program through innovative, integrative research and community service.

The fellowship search committee was comprised of faculty members Lars Brudvig, Fred Janzen, Emily Josephs, and Kevin Liu, postdoc Ashwini Ramesh, and PhD student Cynthia Fiser.

Additional information can be found on the EEB website.