Erika Zavaleta

Erika Zavaleta is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, leading a diverse research group focused on conservation science and ecology in response to climate, atmospheric, and biodiversity changes. With 85 publications, including 13 in top-tier journals such as Nature and Science, she has made significant contributions to understanding ecological community responses to climate change. Zavaleta received the Ecological Society of America Sustainability Science Award in 2007 for her work on climate and wildfire impacts in Alaska's boreal forest. Recently, she was honored with two American Publishers Association’s PROSE Awards and a California Book Award for her book Ecosystems of California (2016). As director of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program, she trains future conservation leaders and serves on advisory boards for several organizations focused on climate adaptation and conservation biology. Her current research includes studying the responses of migratory songbirds and alpine food webs to environmental changes in Telluride.