Dr. Elise Zipkin is a Red Cedar Distinguished Professor of quantitative ecology at Michigan State University. She develops statistical models to unravel the world’s natural mysteries at the intersection of ecology, conservation biology, and the management of biodiversity. Elise and her team develop analytical frameworks to address grand challenges in the study of biodiversity loss and the effects of anthropogenic activities, such as climate and land-use change. She harnesses empirical data (big and small) to understand interactions in the natural world, revealing the causes and consequences of species’ declines while charting pathways to mitigate and reverse these alarming trends. Elise has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and regularly works with management agencies to translate the results of her research for conservation. She is committed to open, accessible, and reproducible science and to mentoring the next generation of scientists, natural resource managers, policy makers, and scientific communicators.