Carleton University
Lenore Fahrig is Chancellor's Professor of Biology at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. Fahrig and her students study the effects of landscape pattern - habitat loss and fragmentation, roads and traffic, cropping patterns - on biodiversity. Fahrig is recipient of the Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award from IALE-North America, and the President's Award from CSEE, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. A study in 2019 ranked her impact in the top 0.01% of all 7 million scientists worldwide.
What change do you want to see come to the professional ecosystem of ecology?
The change I would most like to see is for our stories to better match the empirical evidence that we have. We have many longstanding ideas that are not strongly supported and are therefore the subject of debate (examples on Jeremy Fox's "Dynamic Ecology" blog). But these ideas carry on unchanged in textbooks, courses, and in how we present our science to the public. I would like to see a professional ecosystem of ecology where, when repeated tests of an idea fail to show strong support, we change our stories. (Also, I would like us to use the word "ecosystem" only for actual ecosystems.)
What is the best piece of professional advice you've received?
At any given time, focus your energies on the things that seem most meaningful and rewarding. Don't try to plan out your career. Don't think too far ahead.
What is your greatest professional accomplishment to-date?
Looking back, I think I will be most proud of the accomplishments of my graduate students and postdocs, who are doing things that make a real difference for people and nature. Of course, I can't take credit for their accomplishments but I can't help feeling proud. I will also be proud of the situations where I've engaged with organizations in efforts to stop climate change and biodiversity decline.
How does your identity influence your work?
I have chosen a form of work where I spend almost all of my time alone or interacting with only one or a few people. This is probably because I am an introvert. This is also why I communicate my research mainly through writing rather than through talking. In retrospect, a likely positive outcome of this approach is that my identity as a short woman has been largely hidden from view, which probably means I have avoided some of the (unconscious) bias against such people's work.
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
8:40 AM – 9:00 AM EDT
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT