Leah Gerber

Leah Gerber is a Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sciences in the School of Life Sciences, Senior Sustainability Scientist in the School of Sustainability, and Founding Director of the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes (CBO) at Arizona State University. Gerber is a population ecologist and marine conservation biologist who is committed to a strong empirically-based marine research program and in connecting science to policies for sustainable resource management. As a population ecologist, she works at the interface between behavior, population ecology and demography of long-lived marine species. As a conservation biologist she works with government and non-governmental organizations to ensure that basic research is applied in relevant conservation settings. In both endeavors, Gerber employs empirical and modeling approaches to understand marine systems connect academic pursuits in marine biological sciences to tenable decision tools and policy. With a grounding in natural history and primary data collection, quantitative methods, and an appreciation for the interactions between humans and the environment, Gerber has pioneered new approaches in protected area design, population viability analysis, and incorporating uncertainty into environmental decision-making. Gerber has published broadly on life history, dispersal, monitoring, adaptive management, animal behavior and ecosystem-based management. She is a National Science Foundation Career Awardee and an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow. As the Founding Director for CBO, Gerber aims to accelerate the success of biodiversity management and sustainable biodiversity outcomes by fostering relationships amongst academics and decision makers. Dr. Gerber can be followed on Twitter @Leahleopold.

January 2016