Brian McGill’s Blog ranked fourth most Influential in Bloggers’ Survey
School of Biology and Ecology Professor Brian McGill’s Ecology blog titled “Dynamic Ecology” has been ranked one of the most influential Science Blogs, according to a University of Michigan news release. The survey was conducted by the science blog “From the Lab Bench, a blog about all things science,” and consisted of 600 respondents. McGill is one of three co-authors for the blog, with the occasional guest post. The purpose of the blog, explained by co-author Jeremy Fox, associate professor of population ecology at the University of Calgary, is to post ideas, opinions, commentary, advice, and humor that he hopes may interest his fellow academic ecologists and their students.
In academics, it’s important to have a conversation going with individuals working on the same issue, explains McGill. “This blog enables people working in Ecology to communicate with each other on issues that previously were only discussed during conferences. Blogging has become a critical tool for many in academics and opens the door to a more informal scientific discussion that has the capability to span around the world. To read an introductory post from McGill about why he chooses to blog, and the topics he chooses to blog about, click here.
McGill is an associate professor of biological sciences and is jointly appointed with the sustainability solutions initiative at the University of Maine. His research focuses on large-scale ecology and global change. In May, McGill co-published a comprehensive analysis of global biodiversity change and species loss in Science magazine.
Congratulations to McGill and co-authors for their acknowledgements!