James Ehleringer

Jim Ehleringer is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah, fully retiring in 2027. He founded and directed the Stable Isotope Ratio Facility for Environmental Research (1984-2024) and served as Chair of Biology (1993-1996). He served as founding director of Utah’s Global Change and Sustainability Center (2009-2015), Utah’s Sustainability leadership team (2013-1016), founding director of the Entrada Field Station (now Rio Mesa) (2008-2010), and helped build the environmental sciences program across our campus. Internationally, Jim ran the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystem (GCTE) core project of the International Biosphere-Geosphere Program (IGBP) (1997-2003) and the Biosphere-Atmosphere Stable Isotope Network (BASIN) (1997-2006). To support forensic work for government agencies and commercial interests, he founded IsoForensics (2003-2020). The success of that venture can be seen in the federal agencies that now utilize this technology and thus obviating the need for IsoForensics.

His research spanned from ecophysiological and ecological studies of natural and urban systems through atmospheric trace gas studies and forensic sciences, resulting in 500+ publications. Throughout his academic career, Jim has also focused on creating the facilities and organizational structures to advance interdisciplinary science and provide new opportunities for others. Jim’s recent research projects have melded stable isotope analyses with process studies to investigate carbon and water cycles, climate change, air quality in urban zones, humans and our diets and foods, and biomarkers in climate studies.

Jim has been recognized for his research and teaching. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a winner of The Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence, and a recipient of the Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology. Jim is an elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, of the Ecological Society of America, and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received the University’s Undergraduate Student’s Choice Teaching Award.

 Jim has a passion for teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He and his colleague Thure Cerling created IsoCamp, which has successfully trained 1,000+ graduate students and was recognized with The Outstanding Education Program in Earth and Space Award by the American Geophysical Union. That course now continues at the University of New Mexico. His senior class on Plant Ecology in a Changing World received the Student’s Choice Award for Teaching. A textbook with the same title has recently by published by CRC Press. Jim also teaches freshman the core biology class on Evolution and Diversity of Life.​

Jim and his wife Edna moved to Utah in the late 1970’s, where they put down roots, established educational careers, and raised a family. Edna retired from a distinguished 40-year career as a teacher and administrator in the Jordan, Granite, and Salt Lake City School Districts. Together they enjoy gardening, traveling, fishing, glamping, and most of all, spending time with their grandchildren in Idaho and Oregon. 

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