Biosketch

Dr. JC Buckner is an evolutionary zoologist and assistant professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Texas at Arlington and a research associate at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She serves as the principal investigator of the IDER lab which studies the macroevolution of vertebrates with particular interest in biodiversity dynamics, adaptive genetics, and trait evolution.

JC received her B.S. in Zoology from SUNY Oswego where she participated in the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. She earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA. During that time, she completed part of her dissertation in Brazil through a Fulbright US program research award. JC completed her NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology in the Iowa State University Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology followed by a postdoctoral research position at the LSU Museum of Natural Science.

JC is also devoted to creating inclusive spaces in academia to welcome curious scientists of all backgrounds to pursue their passions. In that capacity, she serves as the faculty co-advisor for the UTA SACNAS chapter, on the council for the Society of Systematic Biologists and on the board for the non-profit Black in Natural History Museums, with the hope of improving the experiences of underrepresented scientists, celebrating their contributions, and facilitating their collaborations.