The Ecological Society of America has named UCLA's Priyanga Amarasekare, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, a Fellow of the society.
Her research focuses on how the interplay between abiotic environmental variation and biotic interactions influences ecological and evolutionary dynamics. It seeks to explain patterns of dynamics and diversity that are observed in nature, and to predict how such patterns may change under perturbations to the abiotic and biotic environment. The distinctive features of her work are the strong mechanistic focus and the tight integration between theory and data. Amarasekare's lab focuses on mechanisms that maintain biological diversity in variable environments.
The society designates as Fellows members who have made outstanding contributions to research, education and/or outreach in a wide range of fields. These contributions include advancing or applying ecological knowledge in academics, government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector. The new Fellows will be recognized at the society's annual meeting in August.
Amarasekare was elected for distinguished contributions to theoretical ecology, particularly our understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of populations and communities.
