October 13–14, 3–6 p.m. each day
Tripp Commons, Memorial Union
800 Langdon Street, Madison
The Center for Ecology and the Environment invites you to the 2025 Fall Symposium. Join us to explore new research and network with faculty, staff, and students.
Highlighting the variety of ecology research across campus, the Fall Symposium features talks by new UW faculty as well as two keynote addresses. This year, we’re joined by Dr. Barbara Han, a leading disease ecologist from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.
The symposium is free and open to the public. Faculty, students, researchers, and community members are warmly invited to attend.
Keynote Speaker
Barbara Han
Disease Ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Barbara Han is a leading disease ecologist whose research integrates ecological data with machine learning to predict zoonotic disease emergence. Her work at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies explores how computational tools can be used to identify high-risk regions and potential carrier species for outbreaks such as Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19, contributing to global health preparedness and ecological resilience.
Symposium Schedule
Monday, October 13
- 3 p.m.: Welcome remarks
- 3:15 p.m.: Dr. Michaela Hoffelmeyer, assistant professor, Department of Community and Environmental Sociology, “Scalar Irresponsibility: Worker Safety and Legal Accountability in Small-Scale Meat Processing”
- 3:35 p.m.: Dr. Daijiang Li, assistant professor, Department of Botany, “Effects of Global Environmental Change on Biodiversity and Phenology”
- 4 p.m.: Keynote by Dr. Barbara Han, Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, “Predicting Unknown Unknowns in Disease Ecology”
- 5 p.m.: Reception
Tuesday, October 14
- 3 p.m.: Welcome remarks
- 3:15 p.m.: Dr. Aja Watkins, assistant professor, Department of Philosophy, “Trial by Fire: Uncertainty and Adaptive Management in Forest Ecology”
- 3:35 p.m.: Dr. Jasmine Childress, assistant professor, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, “Using DNA Metabarcoding to Reveal the Parasite Ecology of the San Miguel Island Fox”
- 4 p.m.: Keynote by Dr. Barbara Han, Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, “Transdisciplinarity in Scientific Collaboration”
- 5 p.m.: Reception
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