About – Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

At UC Santa Cruz, we’re uncovering the origins of life and protecting the future of Earth’s ecosystems.

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Department Overview

The Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB) is devoted to the study of ecological and evolutionary processes in marine and terrestrial and freshwater environments. The past 30 years have seen several revolutions in our understanding of how the biological world works. Advances in both analytical and genetic methods have given us a far more sophisticated understanding of the complexities of ecological and evolutionary processes in the natural world. Biologists at UCSC have played and will continue to play an important part in these advances, and the campus programs offer unique educational opportunities in biology that feature small class sizes and extensive faculty-student interactions.

Class offerings, as well as research opportunities, focus on the varied natural environments in the Monterey Bay region, throughout the western US, and in more distant locations such as Mexico, Tahiti, Australia, and the Far East. This emphasis on field studies is a unique focus of our variety of undergraduate majors, within this context they address not only basic ecological and evolutionary processes, but also the application of this knowledge to improve conservation strategies and environmental quality.

Community Values

As a community, we acknowledge the richness of commonalities and differences we share, the intrinsic worth of all who work and study here, and that science and learning are enhanced by investigation of and reflection upon multiple perspectives. We also aspire to create respect for and appreciation of all persons as a key characteristic of our campus community and to achieve an environment that welcomes and supports diversity as well as ensures full opportunities for all who teach, learn, work and do research here.

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Land Acknowledgement

The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.

Key Administrative and Advising Staff

Rita S Mehta

Title
- Professor, Chair of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Stephanie Zakarian

Title
- Department Manager

Julia Veble Mikic

Title
- Department Assistant

Rexton Lynn

Title
- Undergraduate Program Coordinator/Lead Advisor

Aubrie Dawn Tait

Title
- EEB Undergraduate Academic Advisor

Shannon Thoele

Title
- BTL Support Technician

Visitor Information

Building at blue hour on the coastal campus

The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department is located at the UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science Campus. EEB faculty, staff, advising, labs and classrooms are located in the Coastal Biology Building, about three miles from the main UCSC Campus.

The Coastal Science Campus is also home to our expansive greenhouses, the Ocean Health Building/Center for Ocean Health, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care & Research Center, and the Seymour Marine Discovery Center.

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Contact

Undergraduate Advising:
eebadvising@ucsc.edu

General Inquiries:
eebadmin@ucsc.edu

Phone: (831) 459-5358

Physical/Mailing Address
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
UCSC/Coastal Biology Building
130 McAllister Way
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Campus Mailstop: CBB/EE Biology