Renowned Expert, Paul Koch, to Discuss Environmental Change Through the Lens of Paleontology for ESI Earth Day Lecture
By Nick McCoy, Evolutionary Studies communications assistant
Paul Koch, a Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will present the Earth Day Lecture at Vanderbilt on April 16th, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Buttrick Hall 102. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Koch’s most notable research contributions center around the ecology and evolution of vertebrate animals. Specifically, Koch has studied ancient ecosystems and climates to reconstruct and understand the evolution of the environment of prehistoric animals. Koch’s talk is titled, “What Fossils Tell Us About the Planet Today.” Koch has investigated how fossilized remains of various living species can lead to conservation efforts, ultimately exploring strategies for protecting endangered species and mitigating environmental damage.
In March 2025, Koch, alongside other researchers, published a paper revealing that southern elephant seals rapidly adapted to changing climate and other pressures over short evolutionary timeframes, with their populations and range shifting significantly in response to past environmental changes in the Southern Ocean.
Beyond his research, Koch recently served as Dean of the Science Division from 2011 to 2023 at UCSC. Furthermore, Koch was honored with the Charles Schuchert Award from the Paleontological Society in 1998 and is a fellow of the Paleontological Society and the Geological Society of America. Koch’s educational background includes a B.A. in Geology and English from the University of Rochester and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Michigan.
The DeSantis DREAM Lab and the Evolutionary Studies Initiative are honored to host Professor Koch, highlighting the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing global challenges through evolutionary science.
This seminar is a part of Vanderbilt’s Earth Day Celebration, promoting sustainability, scientific innovation and awareness. Learn more about paleontology as a tool in exploring environmental changes through time with Paul Koch on April 16th from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Buttrick Hall 102.
The Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative was established in August 2019 with the aim of uniting a remarkably diverse array of scholars from a variety of disciplines with broad interests and expertise in evolution-related fields.