Student working in field

Ecology

Investigate patterns in the interactions among organisms and their environments—from the molecule to the biosphere

Program Overview

Students in Penn State’s Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology: 

  • Gain a thorough understanding of ecological theory and hypothesis testing
  • Conduct research that tests basic ecological theories or applies ecological principles to meet critical societal needs 
  • Engage with faculty members from across Penn State in their coursework and research
  • Develop their communication and leadership skills 
  • Earn M.S. and Ph.D. degrees

News

Helping soil microbes kill weed seeds to aid organic farmers

To better equip organic farmers to control weeds, a team of Penn State agricultural scientists received a four-year, $935,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study how promoting soil microbes to infect and kill weed seeds might reduce problematic weed species.

Domestication has changed the chemicals squash flowers use to attract bees

In a new study published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, a team led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that domesticated flowers have different scent chemical profiles than wild plants in several species of squash. Additionally, the specialized pollinators of these plants—squash bees—detect different compounds, called floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in wild plants that they co-evolved with than in domesticated plants.

College of Ag Sciences awards bridge funding for global research collaborations

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has awarded bridge funding to four faculty members to support research collaborations addressing soil fertility, public health, climate resilience and agricultural trade include two from the Center for Root and Rhizosphere Biology.

Disease ecologist awarded grant to study ’infectome’ effects on fungal disease

Molly Bletz, assistant professor of disease ecology at Penn State, has been awarded a 2025 New Investigator Grant by the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation, which is administered by The Pittsburgh Foundation and awards grants to support scientists at Pennsylvania colleges and universities conducting innovative and interdisciplinary research