Professor Kevin Erling Omland
Professor · Tenured
Department of Biological Sciences
College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences
He/Him/His/Himself
About
BA, Dartmouth College; PhD, University at Albany (SUNY); Postdocs: Duke, Univ. Minnesota, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. UMBC Faculty 2000 - present. Australian National University 2007, 2010. UMBC Presidential Research Professor 2016-2019.Research interests
Broad interests in evolutionary trees and in the ecology, evolution, behavior and conservation of birds. Current focus on the conservation biology of several threatened or near-threatened orioles, especially the Puerto Rican Oriole. Ongoing work on female song, including comparing temperate and tropical oriole species. Previous research: Evolutionary Biology - molecular phylogeny and population genetics of closely related birds to study speciation and character evolution, especially orioles (genus Icterus) and ravens (genus Corvus). Book in press for Cambridge University Press (UK), “Understanding the Tree of Life”. Publication Fall 2025.Keywords: phylogeny, tree thinking, tree of life, conservation biology, evolutionary biology, ornithology, ecology, evolution, animal behavior.
Teaching interests
Biology 142: Introductory Ecology and Evolution; Biology 481: Avian Biology - Evolution, Ecology, Behavior & Conservation. More broadly: biodiversity, evolution, phylogeny, animal behavior, conservation. Especially interested in teaching clear tree thinking as there is no "ladder of progress" in evolution.Education
- Ph D, Biology — The University at Albany, SUNY (1995)
- BA, Biology — Dartmouth College (1985)