For Immediate Release
Margaret Connors, Outreach Coordinator, NCEAS May 25, 2006
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis Appoints Deputy Director
Santa Barbara, California - Stephanie Hampton has recently joined the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) as Deputy Director. She received her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Dartmouth College. Hampton is an aquatic ecologist with expertise in plankton, microscopic plants and animals that support life in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Prior to her appointment at NCEAS, Hampton held teaching and research appointments, most recently as a faculty member in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources at the University of Idaho.
Hampton first participated at NCEAS when she received funding to convene a Siberian-American working group to analyze 60 years of plankton data from Lake Baikal, the world’s largest and oldest lake. The research goal is to determine whether and how plankton have responded to long-term warming and pollution. Changes that occur among plankton in response to pollutants or unusual warming can affect water quality and higher organisms, such as fish and birds.
NCEAS is a national hub that provides opportunities for scientists like Hampton to synthesize the vast amount of existing and accumulating ecological data. Hampton is pleased to be in a position to facilitate this research for her colleagues. As Deputy Director, she will work with scientists to bring new projects to the Center and manage training opportunities. Commenting on her appointment, Hampton said the Center’s work in synthesizing data “is of critical importance in ecology and environmental science right now – with tremendous potential for yielding new insights that help us understand, protect, and manage our environments.”
About the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) was created in 1995 with funding from the National Science Foundation, the State of California, and the University of California Santa Barbara. The Center facilitates collaborative research and the synthesis of existing data on ecology and the environment. NCEAS scientists develop new techniques in informatics, and apply general knowledge of ecological systems to specific issues such as the loss of biotic diversity, global change, habitat decline and fragmentation, and over-exploitation of natural resources. NCEAS is associated with the Marine Science Institute and is located in downtown Santa Barbara. The Center’s web site is: http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu
