, the Gillen Director of the (UNDERC) and professor in the at the University of Notre Dame, has been named a .
鈥淚 am honored to have been elected to such a distinguished group of scholars,鈥� Swenson said. 鈥淚 am grateful to my colleagues and, particularly, the students I鈥檝e worked with over the years. They have inspired me to integrate multiple disciplines and novel perspectives, which has resulted in exciting new insights into forest health and biodiversity.鈥�
This recognition honors his integration of genomics data into community ecology with a special focus on trees and forests. Swenson is one of eight fellows elected this year.
A plant biologist by training, Swenson鈥檚 research seeks to understand the distribution and dynamics of biodiversity through space and time, with a focus on woody plant ecology and evolution. His interdisciplinary approach to studying variation in tree performance spans draws on concepts and techniques from several fields, including genomics, remote sensing and machine learning. The collection of large data sets across disciplines allows his research group to quantify drivers of tree performance over time, which is essential for predicting the fate of individual species and forests in the future.
Swenson completed his undergraduate degree at St. Olaf College before going on to complete his master of science at New Mexico State University. His Ph.D., from the University of Arizona, was in ecology and evolutionary biology with a focus on global change. Swenson then went to Harvard University to complete a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship. He joined Notre Dame in 2021.
Swenson鈥檚 work has been published in leading scientific journals, including Science, Nature and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His scholarship has been recognized with a Guggenheim fellowship and Clarivate鈥檚 Highly Cited Researcher award. He currently serves as an associate editor for Ecology Letters.
鈥淲e are incredibly proud of Nate for this well-deserved honor,鈥� said , the John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the . 鈥淗is individual scholarship is exemplary, and we are grateful for his leadership at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center, which serves as a vital outdoor classroom and field laboratory. By integrating advanced data science and artificial intelligence with traditional field ecology, Nate ensures that our students and scholars have access to the most sophisticated tools available to address the pressing environmental challenges of our time.鈥�
The ESA Fellows program, established in 2012, recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement or application of ecological knowledge in academics, government, nonprofit organizations and the broader society. Fellows are elected for life and are celebrated for their leadership in ecological science.
鈥淭hese fellows represent a remarkable group of scientists whose contributions are shaping the direction of ecological research and its application,鈥� said Peter Groffman, president of the ESA. 鈥淚 am delighted to see their achievements recognized by their peers. Their work is expanding how we understand ecological systems while also informing decisions that affect ecosystems and communities. ESA is proud to count them among its members, and we look forward to the continued impact of their work.鈥�
鈥淲hile I am humbled by the recognition of my work as an individual researcher, this honor also highlights the University of Notre Dame鈥檚 role in advancing ecological science and underscores the necessity of the field-based research we prioritize at UNDERC,鈥� Swenson said.
He will be formally recognized during a ceremony at ESA鈥檚 2026 Annual Meeting this summer in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu
Originally published by at on April 15, 2026.