Mark D. Hunter


Dean
Odum Chair of Ecology
Graduate Program Faculty

Curriculum Vitae

Mark D. Hunter is Dean of the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. He received his undergraduate degree (Zoology) and doctoral degree (Ecology) from the University of Oxford, UK. After a NATO Fellowship at Penn State University and NSERC Fellowship at Laval University, Hunter joined the faculty at the University of Georgia in 1995. After 11 years at UGA, Hunter moved to the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, Hunter was the Founding Director of the Frontiers Program in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, which seeks to increase participation by underrepresented students in the field. Hunter received the Henry A. Gleason Collegiate Professorship and Earl E. Werner Distinguished University Professorship for his contributions to research, education and outreach at UM.

Hunter returned to UGA in 2023 to serve as Dean of the Odum School of Ecology, and holds the Eugene P. Odum Chair.  Hunter is committed to fostering interdisciplinary programs and partnerships within and beyond academic institutions that advance scholarship, education, service and outreach in the ecological sciences.

Education

Ph.D. ecology, University of Oxford

B.S. zoology, University of Oxford

Honors, Awards, and Achievements

Eugene P. Odum Chair in Ecology

Teaching Excellence Award, Program in Biology, University of Michigan

Science Communication Fellowship, University of Michigan

The Earl E. Werner Distinguished University Professorship, University of Michigan

Inaugural Outstanding Teacher Award, EEB, University of Michigan

Fellow of the Ecological Society of America

Rackham Master’s Mentoring Award, University of Michigan

OPUS Award, National Science Foundation

The Henry A. Gleason Collegiate Professorship, University of Michigan

Excellence in Education Award, University of Michigan

Imes and Moore Faculty Award for diversity, University of Michigan

Institute of Ecology Outstanding Instructor Award

“Eminent Ecologist,” Kellogg Biological Station

University of Georgia Creative Research Medal

University of Georgia Lilly Teaching Fellowship

NSF CAREER Award

NSERC International Research Fellowship

NATO International Research Fellowship

Research Interests

Plant-animal interactions

Ecosystem ecology

Biodiversity

Population dynamics