Kristen K. Cecala

Kristen K. Cecala is an Associate Professor of Biology and Co-Director of the Island Ecology Program at the University of the South (Sewanee). She holds a B.S. from Davidson College and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on the ecology of amphibians and reptiles, particularly how environmental changes like climate and land use impact their behavior and distribution. Her work integrates observational, experimental, and modeling approaches to inform conservation strategies for aquatic ecosystems in the southern Appalachians and Cumberland Plateau.

Her lab explores topics such as salamander responses to drought, small impoundments' effects on stream quality, and the influence of environmental contaminants on behavior. Current student projects address climate-land use interactions, climate change on species interactions, and behavioral impacts of pollutants. Her findings aim to guide management practices for freshwater conservation.

Notable publications include studies on glyphosate effects on salamanders, stream impoundment impacts, and physiological constraints of climate change on larval salamanders. Her lab actively collaborates on projects emphasizing applied ecological solutions and community engagement in environmental stewardship.