Brian Maitner

Brian Maitner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on biodiversity conservation, global change ecology, and the application of computational tools to ecological questions. He teaches courses such as Community Ecology and Statistical Ecology. Maitner’s lab emphasizes Open Science practices, including developing R packages like BIEN, TNRS, and Wallace 2.0, and collaborates globally on projects addressing biodiversity patterns, conservation strategies, and ecosystem resilience.

Education: Ph.D., University of Arizona.

Research Interests:

• Quantifying biodiversity patterns at local to global scales
• Climate change impacts on plant communities and conservation strategies
• Improving trait-based ecological methodologies
• Analyzing global change drivers as ecological experiments (e.g., fires, species introductions)
• Advocating for Open Science and collaborative data-sharing

Labs/Teams: The Maitner Lab focuses on biodiversity science, conservation, and Open Science. Current projects include assessing plant conservation gaps, modeling species responses to climate change, and developing computational tools for ecological research.

Advising: Seeking motivated Masters students interested in data science, field ecology, or both. Applications are encouraged via email.