Cagan H Sekercioglu

Cagan H Sekercioglu is a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah, a position he has held since July 2023. He also serves as a Visiting Professor in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey since July 2020. Previously, he was an Associate Professor at the University of Utah from July 2017 to June 2023. His academic journey includes research fellowships at University of Cambridge and Stanford University, and he holds a PhD in Ecology from Stanford University (2003) and dual Bachelor's degrees in Anthropology and Biology from Harvard University (1997).

• Current Position: Professor, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah (2023-present)
• Previous Positions: Associate Professor (2017-2023), Assistant Professor (2010-2017) at University of Utah
• Education: PhD in Ecology from Stanford University (2003), BA in Anthropology and Biology from Harvard University (1997)

Dr. Sekercioglu is a conservation ecologist, ornithologist, tropical biologist, and wildlife photographer whose research focuses on threatened biodiversity and ecosystems, particularly studying co-existence of people and other species in human-dominated landscapes. His work examines the causes and consequences of bird extinctions globally, with particular attention to extinction-proneness of certain groups like tropical understory insectivores. His lab conducts fieldwork in diverse ecosystems across Costa Rica, Colombia, Ethiopia, Turkey, and Utah, complemented by meta-analyses of a global bird ecology database he has compiled since 1999.

His extensive publication record demonstrates expertise across multiple ecological disciplines, with recent work focusing on climate change impacts on bird populations, conservation of threatened species, carnivore ecology, and the effects of human activities on wildlife. His research spans continents and integrates field studies with meta-analyses to address pressing conservation challenges, particularly examining avian life history traits, extinction correlates, and the implications of bird extinctions on ecosystem processes such as pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control.

• Most cited scientist in Turkey in biology, ecology and ornithology (2024)
• Most-cited 1% of scientists in Ecology/Environment in the past decade (2024)
• TUBITAK Special Science Award (Turkey's highest scientific honor)
• Whitley Fund's 20th Anniversary Special Gold Award
• Emerging Explorer by National Geographic Society
• Rolex Awards for Enterprise finalist (2016)

Through his Sekercioglu Laboratory and collaboration with KuzeyDoga Society (an environmental non-profit organization), he fosters undergraduate research excellence and community-based conservation initiatives. His work bridges scientific research with practical conservation applications, particularly in eastern Turkey where he conducts wetland restoration projects and studies human-wildlife coexistence, including research on carnivorous mammals (brown bears, wolves, and lynx) in eastern Turkey.