Eric Baack

Eric Baack is a Professor of Biology and Department Head at Luther College. He has been affiliated with the college since 2007, previously serving as director of the Environmental Studies program. His research focuses on ecological influences on plant evolution, including speciation in sunflowers and drug resistance in bacteria. He teaches courses such as Evolutionary Biology, Biostatistics, and Ecology of the Southwest, often integrating field studies and interdisciplinary approaches.

Education:

• Ph.D., Population Biology, University of California Davis (Dissertation: Ecological factors affecting tetraploid speciation in snow buttercups)
• M.A., Secondary Science Education, Lewis and Clark College
• B.A., Philosophy, Carleton College

Research Interests: Dr. Baack explores how ecological factors drive evolutionary processes in plants, including speciation mechanisms and adaptation. His work combines field experiments, molecular tools, and computational models. Current projects include re-domestication of sunflowers, crop-wild gene flow, and drug-resistant bacteria in Iowa waterways. Recent studies involve student collaborations on topics like Lyme disease in ticks, fungal endophytes, and prairie grass genetics.

Grants & Advising: His research has been supported by grants from the USDA, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), McElroy Foundation, and Iowa Science Foundation. He mentors students in independent and collaborative projects, many funded externally. Notable student projects include analyses of multi-drug resistant bacteria, sunflower genome size, and tick pathogen co-infections.

Labs/Teams: Collaborations involve interdisciplinary teams examining environmental policy, microbial ecology, and evolutionary genetics. Fieldwork spans arid Southwestern ecosystems and local Iowa springs/streams, emphasizing hands-on, field-based learning.