MEFA: Data Integration for Macrosystems Ecology with Guest Speaker Dr. Elise F. Zipkin
Thanks to everyone who joined us for this virtual event on March 18, 2026.
If you were unable to join us, the recording is shared below.
A virtual event with members of the Macrosystems Ecology For All (MEFA) Research Coordination Network (funded by NSF) and guest speaker Dr. Elise F. Zipkin highlighting how Macrosystems ecology relies on “Data Integration”—the inclusion of multiple data sources within a single statistical framework (Zipkin et al., 2021) — to address ecological phenomena at broad scales and their cross-scale interactions.
GUEST SPEAKER
Dr. Elise F. Zipkin (Michigan State University)
As a quantitative ecologist, Dr. Zipkin connects the complexities of natural communities with the precision of mathematics to shine light on mysteries in ecology and conservation. Elise and her team develop analytical frameworks to address grand challenges in the study of biodiversity loss and the effects of anthropogenic activities, such as climate change. She harnesses empirical data (big and small) to understand fine and subtle interactions in the natural world, revealing the causes and consequences of species’ declines and biodiversity loss while charting pathways to mitigate and reverse these alarming trends.
Elise has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and delivered more than 50 invited talks nationally and internationally. Among her honors is being named a Fulbright U.S. Senior Scholar, an International Ecology Institute (ECI) IPRE Laureate, and an Ecological Society of America Early Career Fellow. Elise regularly works with management agencies to translate the results of her research for conservation. She is committed to open, accessible, and reproducible science and to supporting and mentoring the next generation of scientists, natural resource managers, policy makers, and scientific communicators. Connect to her work and resources at Zipkin Quantitative Ecology Lab.
