YESI Interim Director Appointed

News | Posted on Friday 6 December 2019

We are delighted to announce that Professor Jane Hill, YESI Resilient Ecosystem Theme Leader, will be stepping in as YESI Interim Director from January 2020.

Jane Hill, Professor of Ecology in the Department of Biology at the University of York, will be acting as Interim Director until a new Director is appointed. Jane has been YESI’s Resilient Ecosystem Theme Leader since YESI was founded, placing her in the perfect position to temporarily lead the institute over the coming months.

As the Resilient Ecosystem Theme Leader, Jane has been instrumental in developing key research areas around biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and climate change at the University of York.

Jane’s research examines how biodiversity is changing as a consequence of habitat destruction and climate warming. She and her team study both tropical and temperate ecosystems, and how to design more resilient landscapes. 

Jane has been involved with a number of YESI Supported/Linked projects including for example ‘Socially and Environmentally Sustainable Oil Palm Research (SEnSOR),’ ‘The velocity of evolutionary responses of species to ecological change; testing adaptive limits in time and space’ and ‘Enhancing the benefits of tropical peatland restoration for supporting local communities and ecosystem processes.’

She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, a Trustee of the British Ecological Society and a Trustee of the SE Asia Rainforest Research Partnership. She also sits on the Research Strategy Group for the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity at the University of York.

Jane says ‘I am delighted to be stepping in as Interim Director for YESI. It is of course sad to see Sue go, but I’m sure we will stay in touch with her at the University of Sheffield! YESI is a real asset to the University of York, breaking down the barriers between departments to facilitate exciting interdisciplinary research opportunities in environmental sustainability. I can’t wait to get started!’