معرفی
Dr. Christopher J. Schell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM) at the University of California, Berkeley. As an urban ecologist and Afrofuturist, his work bridges ecology, sociology, and justice, investigating how carnivores like coyotes adapt to cities while addressing systemic inequities in urban ecosystems. He is affiliated with the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and leads the Schell Group, focusing on environmental justice, biodiversity, and community-engaged research.
Education: PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Chicago (2015), B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University (2009).
Research Interests: Urban ecology, animal behavior, environmental justice, One Health, and mammalogy. His lab combines behavioral, genomic, and community data to explore how structural oppression (e.g., redlining) shapes urban wildlife dynamics and human-wildlife conflict. Key themes include biodiversity equity, evolutionary consequences of urbanization, and justice-centered conservation strategies.
Selected Awards: National Geographic Explorer, Grist Fixer, Cal Academy Fellow, and Board Member of the California Academy of Sciences.
Grants & Collaborations: Leads projects on redlining’s ecological impacts, urban carnivore genetics, and equitable biodiversity monitoring. Collaborates with urban planners, sociologists, and community groups to integrate justice into conservation.
Labs/Teams: Schell Group at UC Berkeley, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to urban ecology and justice.
