Anurag Agrawal

Anurag Agrawal is the James A. Perkins Professor of Environmental Studies at Cornell University, affiliated with the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Entomology. He holds a Ph.D. in Population Biology from the University of California, Davis (1999), and degrees from the University of Pennsylvania (M.A. Conservation Biology, 1994; B.A. Biology, 1994). His research focuses on plant-insect interactions, particularly coevolution, herbivory, and species invasions. Agrawal’s work combines field experiments, phylogenetic analysis, and lab studies to explore ecological and evolutionary dynamics. His lab investigates milkweed-monarch butterfly relationships, plant defense strategies, and conservation biology. He has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

• Educational Background:
• Ph.D., Population Biology, University of California - Davis (1999)
• M.A., Conservation Biology, University of Pennsylvania (1994)
• B.A., Biology, University of Pennsylvania (1994)

Research interests include chemical ecology, phenotypic plasticity, and the ecological impacts of climate change. His lab’s current projects address plant-herbivore coevolution, invasive species success, and monarch butterfly conservation. Agrawal teaches courses on chemical ecology, community ecology, and field ecology. He actively engages in outreach, including school programs promoting monarch conservation.