Earth & Space
Animal-behavior researchers named California Academy of Sciences Fellows
Both faculty members described as collaborators aligned with the academy’s mission to ‘regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration’
UC Santa Cruz's Rita Mehta and Colleen Reichmuth
University of California, Santa Cruz, faculty members Rita Mehta and Colleen Reichmuth have been named California Academy of Sciences Fellows, joining a governing group of more than 500 distinguished scientists and other leaders who have made notable contributions to scientific research, education, and communication.
Mehta and Reichmuth were among 12 new fellows inducted on October 7, after being nominated by colleagues and selected by the academy’s board of trustees. The new fellows “are partners and collaborators in the pursuit of the Academy’s mission to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration,” the San Francisco-based institution stated in an announcement.
Rita Mehta
Mehta, professor and chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, harnesses tools from functional morphology, anatomy, and physiology to explore animal behavior through an evolutionary and ecological lens. Her lab is particularly interested in the feeding behaviors of animals across diverse taxa such as cephalopods, fishes, snakes, and occasionally, aquatic mammals.
Mehta focuses on the interaction between body shape and feeding and is interested in how particular body shapes such as the elongate body of eels and snakes can exploit diverse environments and implement complex prey manipulation behaviors.
“Using biomechanics and physiology to explain the behavioral feats animals perform in the context of their natural history further engages audiences, but also fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation for the natural world—which directly aligns with the mission of the California Academy of Sciences,” Mehta said. “Deepening our understanding of animal behavior is something I have always been inspired to do through reading the works of great behaviorists and wildlife biologists such as Diane Fossey, George Schaller, and Jane Goodall.”
Colleen Reichmuth
Reichmuth, a senior research scientist at UC Santa Cruz who leads the Pinniped Lab on the Coastal Science Campus, is also a trained animal behaviorist. She studies how amphibious mammals such as seals, sea lions, walruses, and sea otters perceive and respond to their environments. She conducts experiments with trained animals in a unique learning laboratory and with free-ranging animals in nature to reveal aspects of sensory biology, decision making, and communication.
Her work inspires a more holistic, animal-centered view of mammals that transition between terrestrial and marine environments by interpreting how they experience the world. These efforts inform understanding of biological, ecological, and evolutionary processes and address conservation challenges related to disturbance, ocean noise, harmful algal blooms, climate change, habitat loss, and animal welfare.
“It can be easy to doubt whether your work truly makes a difference in the world, especially during these difficult days, so this recognition means a lot,” Reichmuth said. “The Cal Academy includes so many of my heroes—it is humbling to be in their company.”