USU Ecologists to Present at 2026 Ecological Society of America Meeting in Salt Lake City

Academic study and research can be a hyper-niche undertaking, with scholars buried in field work, literature reviews, data collection and analysis.

“It’s important to share ideas and results with other researchers to get constructive feedback and hear about new ideas,” says Peter Adler, director of the USU Ecology Center and professor in the Department of Wildland Resources. “That’s why the USU Ecology Center facilitates interactions among students and faculty in different departments and colleges across the university. We organize seminars, discussions and social events to foster an intellectual community.”

This year affords USU ecologists a special opportunity to network with peers from around the world at the 2026 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, set for July 26-31 in Salt Lake City.

“We’re taking full advantage of the proximity of this year’s meeting to our Logan and statewide campuses, and encouraging our students to participate in the meeting,” Adler says. “More than 60 USU ecologists – ranging from undergrads and grad students to postdocs and faculty – will be among the meeting’s 2,560 presenters. I don’t think any other university is bringing as many. I’m excited for us to show off the quantity and quality of ecological research produced at USU – most of it by students.”

USU departments sending presenters to the meeting are Biology and Mathematics and Statistics in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Environment and Society, Watershed Sciences and Wildland Resources in the Quinney College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.

Participation in a professional meeting, Adler says, helps students hone their communications skills while networking with professionals and exploring career opportunities.

“Our students are building their academic reputations and research portfolios, as well as developing professional networks,” he says. “Attending the ESA meeting gives them visibility and an opportunity to share their research with world-class researchers, who can provide honest critiques.”

Participation in meetings, which usually requires registration fees, lodging and airfare costs, is expensive.

“This year, we were able to provide travel funds for 25 student scholars,” Adler says. “For meetings in distant cities, we couldn’t afford to help so many. But we wanted to take advantage of an international meeting so close to home.”

The meeting’s theme is ‘Ecology in an Era of Uncertainty.’

“That theme describes much of the work USU researchers are conducting in Utah and beyond,” he says. “For example, our scholars will present research on new tools for managing invasive plant species and emerging diseases in wildlife, along with the effects of increasingly severe fires on river ecosystems. Our researchers are exploring organisms as small as microbes, and as large as elephants. They’re tackling problems like rangeland restoration and climate change.”

In addition to the meeting’s academic sessions, Alder has organized a mixer to re-engage with USU alumni and to foster networking among former and current students.

“Alumni relationships strengthen our programs and benefit our students with helpful advice and news of career opportunities,” he says. “We’re fortunate to have the meeting in Salt Lake City, and will make the most of this chance to advance our program for our students and our faculty.”