Natalia Taft

Natalia Taft is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2009 and maintains an active research and teaching program.

Dr. Taft teaches a diverse range of courses including BIOS 101 (Bioscience), BIOS 102 (Organismal Biology), BIOS 103 (Human Biology), BIOS 317 (Developmental Biology), and senior-level courses such as BIOS 495 (Senior Seminar). She has co-designed and is team-teaching a new sophomore-level Research Process in Biology course, demonstrating her commitment to innovative pedagogy.

Her research program investigates the evolution and functional relationship of structure in bony fish fins, with particular focus on basal actinopterygian (ray-finned) fishes and benthic specialists like flatfish. Recently, she has expanded her research to include the evolution of fish coloration. Her work integrates evolutionary morphology, functional morphology, biomechanics, and vertebrate anatomy to understand how fish fins have evolved and function across different ecological niches.

Dr. Taft serves as Assessment Liaison for the Biological Sciences Department, is a Committee Member on the Animal Care and Use Committee at the college level, and participates in the Student Success Steering Committee at the university level. She also contributes to public service as Vice President of the Wastewater Commission, demonstrating her commitment to community engagement beyond academia.