About
Heather Lerner is an Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the Joseph Moore Museum at Earlham College, Indiana. She leads research integrating museum collections with evolutionary biology, focusing on avian speciation, genomics, and conservation. Her work includes studying raptors, Hawaiian honeycreepers, and giant beavers using molecular techniques. She also explores the role of museums in community-based STEM education and sustainability.
- Education: Ph.D. & M.S. in Biology from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; B.S. from Bryn Mawr College.
Her research interests span evolutionary mechanisms (genotype-phenotype-environment interactions), conservation genetics, and behavioral ecology. She collaborates on projects like stable isotope analysis of Grasshopper Sparrows and comparative genomics of raptorial traits. Recent studies emphasize ancient DNA analysis and phylogenetic reconstructions.
She leads off-campus programs in Hawaii and New Zealand, combining fieldwork with ecological and cultural sustainability practices. These programs engage students in coral reef ecology, conservation biology, and community-based resource management.
- Professional Memberships: American Ornithologists Union, Society for Systematic Biologists, Raptor Research Foundation.
Lerner's lab supports student research in molecular sequencing, disease prevalence studies, and population genetics. Current projects include supermatrix analysis of booted eagles and genomic sequencing of giant beaver specimens. She encourages student-driven projects in avian genomics and conservation.
