Friday, March 3



​We are pleased to announce this year's Early Career Scientist Symposium, to be held Saturday, March 11, 2017 in Palmer Commons on the campus of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. This year’s theme is the ecology and evolutionary biology of phenotypic plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity broadly defined includes any phenotypic response of an organism to a change in its environment, and, as such, touches nearly every discipline in biology.

Our outstanding lineup of a keynote speaker and emerging leaders will present their research examining effects of alterations in the environment on organisms on time scales from the metabolic fluctuations in cholorplast-stealing marine ciliates to herbivory-induced plant defenses on nutrient cycling in whole ecosystems, from developmentally-induced wing polyphenisms in aphids to transgenerational effects of predator exposure in stickleback fish. Methods employed to study these questions include large-scale field surveys, manipulative laboratory experiments, theory, and experimental evolution. We truly believe there will be something for everyone.

We are particularly delighted to announce our keynote speaker: Cameron Ghalambor, professor, Department of Biology, Colorado State University. You can read more about Dr. Ghalambor and our early career speakers and their presentations under the speakers tab on our ECSS 2017 websiteEarly career scientists are considered senior graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and first- or second-year faculty.


Registration is free of charge but we strongly encourage you to register so we can provide adequate food and refreshment.

Graduate and undergraduate students from all universities and all disciplines are invited to present their work during a lunchtime poster session, and can indicate so when they register.  University of Michigan EEB students are particularly encouraged to show off their own work and seek feedback from the scholars in attendance. Read about poster specifications.

Lunch will be provided at the poster session and a reception will follow the symposium.

Looking forward to your participation,

2017 Early Career Scientists Symposium organizing committee:
Wei-Chin Ho
Andrea Hodgins Davis (chair)
Jill Myers
Annette Ostling
Mary Rogalski
Sonal Singhal
Carol Solomon
Earl Werner

For further information, contact Carol Solomon.

illustration: John Megahan