Jelena H. Pantel, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, arrived at AUP in 2019. She earned her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009. She previously held postdoctoral research positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Leuven (Belgium), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France) and an Assistant Professor position at College of William & Mary (United States).
Professor Pantel's research focuses on ecological and evolutionary responses of aquatic invertebrates to environmental change, as well as on statistical methodology required to analyze large and complex datasets. At AUP, she teaches courses in Environmental Science and in Biostatistics.
Summary of seminar
My research is focused on explaining observed patterns of biodiversity in freshwater ponds and lakes, and predicting how these communities will respond to environmental change. Most recently, I have used metapopulation models to explain patch occupancy dynamics and predict long-term extinction in freshwater snails on the island of Guadeloupe, and have worked to determine the role of local adaptation in life history traits and competition for structuring communities of freshwater zooplankton. I use statistical models to link empirical data with theoretical predictions, and will present about eco-evolutionary dynamics in freshwater communities using a range of empirical and quantitative approaches.