2025 Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award
Dr. Helene Wagner
Dr. Helene Wagner
At the annual meeting for the North American Chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE-NA) in North Carolina, Raleigh, USA, April 13-17th, Dr. Helene Wagner, a Full Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Biology, Mississauga, and the Graduate Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, was awarded the 2025 Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award. This is the highest honor bestowed by IALE-NA and it highlights those exceptional individuals who have made substantial contributions to the field and study of landscape ecology.
Dr. Helene Wagner received a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in 1999, a M.Sc. in Statistics from the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland in 1996, and a Diploma in Geography from the University of Zurich in 1994. Dr. Wagner’s research spans various topics with a focus on how human landscape modification affects biodiversity, specifically by integrating spatial ecology, metacommunity dynamics, and landscape genetics. Dr. Wagner’s scientific curiosity and determination to solve pressing conservation issues is an inspiration to many ecologists.
Dr. Wagner is particularly well known for pioneering work in the field of landscape genetics – developing foundational frameworks for how landscape patterns influence the genetic exchange of individuals which structure populations, communities, and ecosystems. As co-founder of a distributed graduate course in landscape genetics, she extended training and research collaboration opportunities to hundreds of graduate students and researchers globally.
The contributions of Dr. Wagner to the field of landscape ecology and ecology broadly are evidenced by 66 peer-reviewed publications and h-index of 32. In addition, Dr. Wagner has served the scientific community by being on the editorial board of Faculty of 1000 Biology, Landscape Ecology, Ecology, and Ecological Monographs, by organizing many symposiums at national and international events, by giving invited presentations, and by participating in working groups. Dr. Wagner has collaborated with various government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and conservation organizations to develop applied ecological strategies for landscape scale conservation and sustainable land management which serve the betterment of society. Dr. Wagner has also helped shape the next generation of leaders in landscape ecology by mentoring numerous students, graduate students, and early career scientists, and through publications and workshops on graduate advising.
Dr. Wagner’s demonstrated contributions to the field of landscape ecology, mentorship of future landscape ecologists, and continued commitment to bridging science to practice and policy will continue to shape and inspire the field of landscape ecology for years to come.
For more information about Dr. Wagner, please visit the Wagner Lab website and ResearchGate profile.
At the annual meeting for the North American Chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE-NA) in North Carolina, Raleigh, USA, April 13-17th, Dr. Helene Wagner, a Full Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Biology, Mississauga, and the Graduate Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, was awarded the 2025 Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award. This is the highest honor bestowed by IALE-NA and it highlights those exceptional individuals who have made substantial contributions to the field and study of landscape ecology.
Dr. Helene Wagner received a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in 1999, a M.Sc. in Statistics from the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland in 1996, and a Diploma in Geography from the University of Zurich in 1994. Dr. Wagner’s research spans various topics with a focus on how human landscape modification affects biodiversity, specifically by integrating spatial ecology, metacommunity dynamics, and landscape genetics. Dr. Wagner’s scientific curiosity and determination to solve pressing conservation issues is an inspiration to many ecologists.
Dr. Wagner is particularly well known for pioneering work in the field of landscape genetics – developing foundational frameworks for how landscape patterns influence the genetic exchange of individuals which structure populations, communities, and ecosystems. As co-founder of a distributed graduate course in landscape genetics, she extended training and research collaboration opportunities to hundreds of graduate students and researchers globally.
The contributions of Dr. Wagner to the field of landscape ecology and ecology broadly are evidenced by 66 peer-reviewed publications and h-index of 32. In addition, Dr. Wagner has served the scientific community by being on the editorial board of Faculty of 1000 Biology, Landscape Ecology, Ecology, and Ecological Monographs, by organizing many symposiums at national and international events, by giving invited presentations, and by participating in working groups. Dr. Wagner has collaborated with various government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and conservation organizations to develop applied ecological strategies for landscape scale conservation and sustainable land management which serve the betterment of society. Dr. Wagner has also helped shape the next generation of leaders in landscape ecology by mentoring numerous students, graduate students, and early career scientists, and through publications and workshops on graduate advising.
Dr. Wagner’s demonstrated contributions to the field of landscape ecology, mentorship of future landscape ecologists, and continued commitment to bridging science to practice and policy will continue to shape and inspire the field of landscape ecology for years to come.
For more information about Dr. Wagner, please visit the Wagner Lab website and ResearchGate profile.