John A. Wiens turned a childhood interest in birds into a career in ecology. He served on the faculties of Oregon State University, the University of New Mexico, and Colorado State University, where he is University Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He then worked for the Nature Conservancy as chief scientist. His work emphasizes the ecology of birds, landscape ecology, and conservation.
This book explores what it means to be an ecologist, showing that it is a lifelong venture that can entail many pathways. Providing examples from his own journey, Wiens conveys deep knowledge about how an ecologist’s career can change over time, just as the field of ecology has developed over the years. -- Virginia H. Dale, research professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and corporate fellow emeritus, Oak Ridge National Laboratory In Becoming an Ecologist, Wiens offers insightful reflections on why he did, or did not, take certain pathways along his distinguished scientific career. His perspectives on past debates and current issues in ecology, as well as his roles in shaping the trajectories of several disciplines, are of special significance. Becoming an Ecologist is informative, important, interesting, and vivid. The suggestions and advice Wiens provides throughout the book will be helpful to the next generations of scientists in general and ecologists in particular. -- Jianguo “Jack” Liu, Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability, University Distinguished Professor, and director of the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Michigan State University