معرفی
Randall Hughes is a Professor in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences at Northeastern University's College of Science. She joined Northeastern in 2013 after completing her education at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Bachelors in Biology and Public Policy Analysis) and University of California-Davis (Ph.D. in Ecology). In 2024, she was appointed as the first Associate Dean for Equity in the Northeastern College of Science, reflecting her longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion in academic settings.
Her academic journey includes significant contributions to marine biodiversity research, with expertise spanning both U.S. coasts. She has conducted research on eelgrass on the West Coast, salt marsh plant species in Florida, and various marine habitats including oyster reefs, seagrasses, and salt marshes. Her work has earned her recognition as an AAAS Fellow in 2024 for her contributions to biological sciences, particularly for developing a fundamental understanding of the role of genetic diversity in conservation and restoration of ecosystem-defining species.
Dr. Hughes has demonstrated exceptional leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion within academia. She created and chaired the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences from 2017-2022 and has served on the College of Science Diversity Committee since 2018. Her research focuses on understanding the ecological and social causes and consequences of biodiversity change, with applications to marine conservation and restoration.
Her work reveals important insights about genetic diversity in marine ecosystems. Her landmark discovery about eelgrass in Bodega Bay, California demonstrated that plots with richer genetic diversity recovered more rapidly from disturbances like geese grazing, highlighting the critical importance of genetic diversity for ecosystem resilience. This finding has significant implications for marine restoration efforts, suggesting that incorporating diverse genotypes is essential for long-term survival of restored habitats.
- AAAS Fellow (2024) - for contributions in biological sciences for developing a fundamental understanding of the role of genetic diversity in the conservation and restoration of species that define ecosystems
Dr. Hughes emphasizes the importance of conserving existing ecosystems rather than relying solely on restoration: "In my opinion, it's best to conserve as much as we can and then restore as we need to as opposed to relying on restoration as sort of a strategy to let us destroy as much as we want to and think that we can just rebuild it somewhere else." Her research now focuses on understanding how bringing plants from different coastal systems affects the evolutionary makeup of recipient systems, with the goal of increasing the effectiveness of restoration efforts.
As Associate Dean for Equity, Dr. Hughes continues to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the College of Science, building on her previous work with the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences.
