Our Team

Forest Isbell is an associate professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota. He is the director of the MnDRIVE Environment program, which supports collaborations between university researchers and Minnesota industry to enhance quality of life and economic vitality in Minnesota and beyond. From 2015 to 2022, he was the associate director of Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, which is one of the most active biological field research stations in the world. Prior to that time, he held an endowed faculty position at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Isbell’s research considers how human activities are changing biodiversity, and how changes in biodiversity cause changes in ecosystem functioning, stability, and services. He has published more than 100 scientific journal articles, including more than a dozen papers published in Nature, Science, and PNAS. He is recognized by Clarivate as one of the most highly cited researchers worldwide in the areas of ecology and the environment. He recently co-authored expert information documents for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework. He was also a lead author on multiple reports by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.