Meet Eric
Department: Biosciences, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Year in Graduate School: 4th Year PhD Candidate
Expected Graduation Date and Degree: August 2026
Hometown: North Attleboro, Massachusetts
Research Focus
What is the overall problem your thesis will help to address?
I collaborate with scientists, conservationists, and local people to study how repairing forest ecosystems might impact the important interactions between plants and animals in tropical rainforests. Specifically, I am researching how lemurs in Madagascar spread tree seeds to help maintain healthy forests that are important to people and the climate.
Can you provide additional scholarly depth about your research?
Frugivores (fruit-eating animals) are known to be important agents in plant reproduction and community structure through their role in seed dispersal, particularly in systems like tropical forests where the vast majority of plant species rely on animal partners. Using disperser-scale and community-scale approaches, my work uses field-based observational studies to assess differences in primate-mediated seed dispersal between intact and regenerating rainforests in Madagascar.
Research Outputs and Impact
What research outputs or impacts would you like to highlight?
I am actively preparing multiple manuscripts detailing my research findings that I will soon submit for publication. In the meantime, I have presented my work at conferences locally (Ecological Integration Symposium at Texas A&M) and internationally (American Society of Primatologists in Riviera Maya, Mexico). Beyond academic settings, I have engaged an array of communities about my work in biodiversity research and conservation, including visitors at Houston Zoo through World Lemur Day festivities and local meetings and tree plantings with community members in Madagascar where I conduct my research.
Are any publications or creative scholarly items coming out soon that the Sustainability Institute can highlight?
I should have a publication detailing findings from my first field season in Madagascar as a Rice researcher available soon, so stay tuned!
Is there any funding you or your advisor would like to acknowledge?
My work would not be possible without the generous support of many funders, including the National Science Foundation, Rice University Sustainable Futures grant, Expanding Horizons Fellowship, Wagoner Foreign Study Scholarship, American Philosophical Society, Sigma Xi, International Primatological Society, and The Explorers Club.
Sustainability Challenges and Future Directions
What do you see as the most pressing sustainability challenge the world is facing?
I see the interwoven nature of multiple global crises that act across scales as the thorniest challenge for sustainability. I especially think the combined issues of climate change and biodiversity loss create huge challenges in our current moment that are on track to grow and complicate in the future.
How do you envision your research contributing to solving sustainability challenges?
My research looks to understand how to repair damaged ecosystems through community-driven restoration measures and natural ecological processes. By uncovering how to best promote resilient tropical forests, my work contributes to efforts to counteract biodiversity loss from deforestation and habitat fragmentation and mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration by forests and other vital ecosystem services.
What are your career aspirations post-graduation?
I look forward to working in interdisciplinary and international teams in academia, NGOs, and community organizations working towards effective and equitable biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration.
Additional Insights
Is there anything else you would like to share about your research or achievements?
I believe commitment to long-lasting, equitable partnerships is the key to facing our sustainability challenges. My work is only possible due to amazing collaborations, including with conservationists at Houston Zoo, researchers and environmental managers in Madagascar, and local communities who steward their environment and rely on natural resources and ecosystem services.
Connect with Eric
- LinkedIn: Eric Wuesthoff on LinkedIn
- Bluesky: Eric Wuesthoff on Bluesky
- Website: Eric Wuesthoff's Research Page