Karin Pfennig

Karin Pfennig is a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on understanding how behavior drives biodiversity, particularly through the evolution of mating behavior and its role in speciation, hybridization, and species distributions. She uses spadefoot toads as model organisms to study adaptive hybridization, behavioral plasticity, and the ecological consequences of species interactions.

Her work combines field studies, laboratory experiments, and genetic analyses. Key research themes include the evolution of mate choice plasticity, the role of hybridization in range expansions, and the mechanisms underlying reproductive character displacement. Pfennig’s lab is located in Wilson Hall, and she actively mentors graduate students such as Catherine Chen, Patrick Kelly, and Gina Calabrese.

Notable awards include winning the NSF’s 2026 Idea Machine competition for her proposal on community-driven carbon capture solutions. Her findings have been published in prestigious journals like *Science*, *Proceedings of the Royal Society B*, and *Journal of Heredity*.

Pfennig’s research bridges ecology and evolution, addressing critical questions about biodiversity maintenance and adaptation in human-impacted environments. Her lab emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, integrating behavioral, ecological, and genetic perspectives to unravel complex evolutionary processes.