Katherine Eisen

Professor Kate Eisen received her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Amherst College. She completed her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, where she studied how species interactions affect the evolution of floral traits in California native wildflowers. Afterward, Professor Eisen was a postdoctoral research fellow at Lund University in Sweden where she mentored students as a part of the Speciation, Adaptation, and Co-Evolution research group. Her research examined the genomic underpinnings and ecological drivers of variation in the floral scent of an alpine perennial plant. Her graduate and postdoctoral research were funded by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology. At LMU, her research program will use the striking diversity in floral traits across and within species in California and beyond to investigate the processes that generate and maintain biodiversity. She is passionate about creating learning environments that support students in their scientific and personal growth. Driven by a desire to help everyone truly belong and thrive in all fields and environments, Professor Eisen currently serves as the Chair of the Diversity Committee of the American Society of Naturalists.