The Black Ecologist’s Section of ESA would like to shine a light on the value of centering Black cultures, values, and systems of knowledge in the natural sciences. This month, we are highlighting the work of Jasmine Brown, a graduate student in the Department of Forestry at Michigan State University. Jasmine studies African Americans’ legacies with forests and the…
Read MoreAs this Black History Month comes to a close, the Black Ecologist’s Section of ESA would like to shine a light on the importance of centering Black cultures, values, and systems of knowledge in the natural sciences. Scientific inquiry is shaped heavily by the perspectives it privileges; centering Black knowledge allows us to expand the suite of approaches used to…
Read MoreIn preparation for the 2023 Annual Meeting in Portland coming up, we invite you to join us at a few sessions hosted by our section. These include a mixer, a session on diversity in our field, and a meeting with the journals’ Editor-in-Chief (see details below). Additionally, we are organizing a Whatsapp group to stay connected and share wins, updates,…
Read MoreOur newest Blackologist of the month is Aalayna Green, a PhD student in Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. Aalayana has been interested in animals since childhood, encouraged by frequent trips to the zoo and the library. She is a social scientist whose work explores the intersections of conservation, environmental justice, and feminist political ecology. Her dissertation…
Our newest Blackologist of the Month is Dr. Rondy Malik, an Assistant Research Professor at the Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research. Dr. Malik is an expert in plant-microbe interactions and trophic ecology. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, he is a proud first generation Haitian American. His ecological career began as an intern at a National Institutes of…
Join the ESA Black Ecologists Section for an online Juneteenth Celebration! This exciting 1-hour virtual event will be filled with enlightening trivia and interactive social games honoring the freedom, unity, and the resilience of Black people in America. Date: Monday, June 19th, 2023 Time: 4 pm EDT (3 pm CDT, 2 pm MDT, 1 PDT) Location: Zoom (Link will…
In preparation for ESA 2023, we are proud to announce the recipients of the Black Ecologists Section’s Inaugural Travel Awards: Our Graduate Student Awardee is Nicole Strickland, a PhD candidate at Florida International University specializing in spatial ecology. Our Postdoc Awardee is Dr. Busayo Babalola, an expert in belowground ecology. Thank you both for being a part of our community….
Dr. Suzanne “Sue” Pierre is our May Blackologist of the Month. The founder of the Critical Ecology Lab, Sue grew up with a strong interest in nature and the environment. But she often felt out of place as a black woman in exclusionary environmentally focused spaces. Her research challenges the status quo in ecological sciences by openly…
Our newest Blackologist of the Month is Dr. Gillian Bowser. An Associate Professor at Colorado State University, Bowser’s research focuses on pollinator conservation. She has worked extensively with the National Park Service to develop and run programs which encourage meaningful community engagement, using art to improve science literacy and facilitate community-led studies. She is especially proud of the…
Our March Blackologist of the Month is Dr. Matthew (Matt) McCary. An Assistant Professor at Rice University, McCary studies functional drivers of soil biodiversity, such as plant invasion, human disturbance, and climate change. His interest in ecology began with a hands-on undergraduate project on tiger salamanders at North Central College. Since then, he has enjoyed…