Brian Silliman, the Rachel Carson Professor of Marine Conservation Biology in NSOE’s Marine Science and Conservation Division, has been appointed the Associate Director of the Duke University Wetland Center effective July 1, 2020.
His teaching and research are focused on community ecology, conservation and restoration, global change, plant–animal interactions, and evolution and ecological consequences of cooperative behavior.
DUWC Director Curtis Richardson commented on Silliman’s appointment to the newly created position, saying, ““Brian brings a new dimension through his expertise on food webs and the conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems, which complements our existing strengths on terrestrial and freshwater systems.”
Since joining the Duke faculty in 2013, Silliman has been a frequent DUWC collaborator and is currently a member of the Center’s Extended Research Faculty. He completed his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Brown University. In recognition of his research achievements, Silliman was named a Distinguished Fulbright Chair with CSIRO in 2019; a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences in 2015; and David H. Smith Conservation Fellow with The Nature Conservancy in 2004.
Silliman’s appointment as the Rachel Carson Distinguished Professor of Marine Conservation Biology also becomes effective July 1.