Robert Dan Holt

Eminent Scholar; Arthur R. Marshall, Jr. Professor in Ecology. Holt is a leading theoretical population and community ecologist whose work across a broad spectrum of problems blends theoretical analyses with empirical tests to shed light on key concepts in evolutionary ecology. His seminal paper on predation, apparent competition, and the structure of ecological communities has been cited well over a thousand times, and his work on spatial heterogeneity and its implications for persistence, coexistence and the evolution of life history traits represents a fundamental contribution to the literature. The range of his contributions-on competition, predation, disease ecology, habitat fragmentation, spatial ecology, conservation biology, and evolutionary biology-demonstrates a remarkable breadth. His encyclopedic knowledge and command of the ecological literature, plus his comfort equally in empirical analyses and mathematical models, led him to an impressive range of collaborations with leading ecologists across a wide spectrum. He served as president of the American Society of Naturalists, and is the recipient of the prestigious Ecology Institute Prize and Sewall Wright Award.