Sara Rivera

Sara Rivera is a Lecturer and Research Lab Specialist in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. She is part of the Michigan Geomicrobiology Lab. Her research focuses on ecological interactions in agroecosystems, community ecology, and biological control mechanisms. Key interests include pest management in coffee systems, ant biodiversity along biogeographical boundaries, and the role of mutualisms in ecosystem services.

Her work spans field-based studies and theoretical models, with a particular emphasis on understanding how complex ecological interactions (e.g., predator-prey dynamics, tri-trophic interactions) influence agricultural sustainability and zoonotic disease emergence. Rivera’s research also explores the impacts of land-use changes on species distribution and ecosystem resilience.

Her publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches to agroecology, integrating entomology, epidemiology, and mathematical modeling. She has contributed to studies comparing mainland and island agroecosystems, as well as analyzing ant communities at the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Rivera is based at the 1100 North University Avenue campus and can be reached via email.