#  Ecology Faculty 

 



We study how organisms interact with each other and their natural world, and how biological processes shape the functioning of the biosphere. Within OEB, we focus primarily on how ecosystems function and how ecological processes drive evolutionary change.



 

  [### Colleen Cavanaugh

 ](/people/colleen-cavanaugh) <cavanaug@fas.harvard.edu>Sabbatical Academic Year 2025-2026

Edward C. Jeffrey Professor of Biology

Not Accepting Graduate Students for 2026-2027

 

 

 

      ![Colleen Cavanauth with medium dark hair wearing glasses, a black top and grey jacket in front of grey background](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/oeb/files/colleen_cavanaugh_crop.jpeg?itok=lYix3xo3) 

 

 

 

   [### Jeannine Cavender-Bares

 ](/people/jeannine-cavender-bares) <jcavender@fas.harvard.edu>Climate Action Acceleration Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Director of the Harvard University Herbaria

Chair of the Harvard Forest Leadership Committee

 

 

 

      ![Jeannine Cavender-Bares smiling, with long dark hair, standing in a field](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-04/Cavender-Bares_6_2025.jpg?itok=6tk4hyhg) 

 

 

 

   [### Andrew Davies

 ](/people/andrew-davies) [andrew\_davies@fas.harvard.edu](mailto:andrew_davies@fas.harvard.edu)Associate Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

 

 

 

      ![Andrew Davies with short dark hair and blue button up shirt, in front of light grey background](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/oeb/files/andrew_davies_crop.jpeg?itok=HswPOtgm) 

 

 

 

   [### Charles C. Davis

 ](/people/charles-c-davis) <cdavis@oeb.harvard.edu>Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Curator of Vascular Plants in the Harvard University Herbaria

 

 

 

      ![Charles Davis, with short brown hair wearing a suit outside in front of a tree](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/oeb/files/charles_davis_crop.jpeg?itok=iVPwX7wY) 

 

 

 

   [### Brian D. Farrell

 ](/people/brian-d-farrell) <farrellb@oeb.harvard.edu>Sabbatical Academic Year 2025-2026

Monique and Philip Lehner Professor for the Study of Latin America

Professor of Biology

Curator of Entomology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology

 

 

 

      ![Brian D. Farrell with grey beard and hair, wearing white short sleeve button down, with spike green leaves behind him](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/oeb/files/farrell.jpg?itok=B9n0E1GD) 

 

 

 

   [### Peter R. Girguis

 ](/people/peter-r-girguis) <pgirguis@oeb.harvard.edu>Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Co-Director of the Harvard Microbial Sciences Initiative

 

 

 

      ![Peter Girguis wearing blue blazer, white shirt and glasses, in front of leaf covered building](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/oeb/files/peter_girguis_by_kristen_deangelis_crop.jpeg?itok=EO4dQGlH) 

 

 

 

   [### Noel Michele Holbrook

 ](/people/noel-m-holbrook) <holbrook@oeb.harvard.edu>Sabbatical Academic Year 2025-2026

Charles Bullard Professor of Forestry

Faculty Fellow of the Arnold Arboretum

Affiliate of Environmental Science and Engineering

 

 

 

      ![Professor Noel Michele Holbrook standing in a field wearing a purple top](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-01/NM%20Holbrook%20cropped.jpg?itok=2mhe1mBK) 

 

 

 

   [### Mandë Holford

 ](/people/mande-holford) <mholford@fas.harvard.edu>Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Curator of Malacology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology

 

 

 

      ![Mande Holford, smiling, with long dark hair and blue and white patterned tops, in front of dark background](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/oeb/files/mande_holford.jpg?itok=m6_FG0Zu) 

 

 

 

   [### Paul R. Moorcroft

 ](/people/paul-r-moorcroft) [paul\_moorcroft@harvard.edu](mailto:paul_moorcroft@harvard.edu)Sabbatical Spring 2026

Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Affiliate of Environmental Science and Engineering

 

 

 

      ![Paul Moorcroft smiling, with short hair, plaid button down, and glasses, in front of grey background](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/oeb/files/paul_moorcroft_crop.jpeg?itok=B0uq5XYB) 

 

 

 

   [### Benton Taylor

 ](/people/benton-taylor) <bentontaylor@fas.harvard.edu>John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences

Faculty Fellow of the Arnold Arboretum

 

 

 

      ![Benton Taylor with dark hair and a beard wearing a white shirt, in front of grey background](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/oeb/files/benton_taylor_crop.jpeg?itok=DMb22veH)