Sarah Collins
Posthumous Emeritus Associate Professor
Zoology & Physiology
Contact Information
sarah.collins@uwyo.edu
It is with great sadness that we let you know that Sarah Collins has passed away. She recieved posthumous Emeritus status with Zoology & Physiology in 2026.
Education:
PhD 2015 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University
BA 2007 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Lewis & Clark College
Postdoc: Michigan State University and University of Wisconsin Madison
Research interests:
I am a freshwater ecosystem ecologist who studies elemental cycling and food web dynamics,
and their relevance to ecosystem function and water quality. I ask questions about
ecological patterns and processes through a combination of local field studies and
data syntheses at broad spatial scales, and my work spans a variety of temperate and
tropical ecosystems. My research draws from two traditionally disparate disciplines:
local, mechanistic food web ecology and synthesis studies about ecosystems at regional
to continental scales. I work with collaborators from various disciplines, including
computer science, statistics, and evolutionary biology. Overall, I aim to develop
the approaches and concepts to understand how accelerating human-driven changes in
terrestrial landscapes and climate are reflected in aquatic ecosystems at local to
continental scales.
The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university with the top research universities in the United States.