The University of California, Berkeley, has named Albert Ruhi, Ph.D., Faculty Co-Director of the Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity. Dr. Ruhi is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. He started his new leadership position July 1, 2023, joining fellow Faculty Co-Director Holly Doremus, Ph.D., Professor in the UC Berkeley School of Law.
Albert is a freshwater ecologist who conducts research on responses of freshwater biodiversity to global change, particularly anthropogenic climate change and drought. His research program addresses fundamental questions in ecology, advances freshwater conservation globally, and informs local management and restoration of rivers and wetlands. He and his laboratory have been conducting field research on the ecological dynamics of aquatic insects in intermittent streams in Pinnacles National Park, California, and working with national park staff to use the scientific results to improve biodiversity conservation in the park.
Albert earned his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at the Universitat de Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Then, he conducted research as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, Maryland. He joined the faculty of UC Berkeley in 2018 and became a Faculty Affiliate of the Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity in 2023. He has conducted aquatic ecology research in Europe, Asia, and the U.S., published with colleagues in Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, and other journals, and was recently awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER award.
Albert Ruhi sampling aquatic invertebrates in Chalone Creek, Pinnacles National Park, California. Photo by Patrick Gonzalez.