Carl Rothfels

Carl Rothfels is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Utah State University. Formerly a Faculty Curator at UC Berkeley (2015–2022), he earned his PhD in Biology from Duke University (2012) and a BA in Biology from McMaster University (2001). His research focuses on evolutionary biology using phylogenetic tools to study plant diversification, particularly in seed-free vascular plants like ferns and lycophytes.

• Education: PhD (Duke University), BA (McMaster University)

Rothfels investigates polyploidy's evolutionary impacts, leveraging novel phylogenetic methods to resolve debates about diversification rates in polyploid lineages. His work spans molecular divergence, morphological change, and biogeography, with NSF CAREER grant 2144011 supporting field initiatives like the Intermountain Botany Foray.

Selected publications highlight his expertise in Bayesian diversification modeling and comparative evolutionary analysis. Scientific awards include the Carol D. Soc Mentoring Award, reflecting his commitment to graduate student development.

• Students: Chinedum Anajemba, Julia Hobbie

The Rothfels Lab (part of the Intermountain Herbarium) combines fieldwork, genomic data analysis, and collaborative projects like the California Conservation Genomics Project. Lab members engage in fern systematics, Azolla genome studies, and phylogenetic method development.