Rate My Professor Bryan Brown

Bryan L. Brown is an Associate Professor of Aquatic Ecology in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech, a position he has held since his promotion in 2017, following his role as Assistant Professor there from 2011 to 2017. Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Clemson University from 2006 to 2011. Brown's academic background includes a B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995, an M.S. in Biology from Appalachian State University in 1999 advised by R. Creed, a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Dartmouth College in 2004 under advisor K. Cottingham, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Integrative Biology at the University of Texas mentored by M. Leibold from 2004 to 2006.

His research specializes in community ecology within aquatic systems, focusing on symbiosis ecology, metacommunity dynamics in dendritic networks like rivers, and processes of community assembly, stability, and response to disturbances such as invasions. Brown's lab conducts field-based experimental tests of ecological theory, contributing to stream restoration, invasive species management, and biodiversity assessments. He has obtained substantial funding, including National Science Foundation grants such as DEB-1655927 (2017-2023, $765,000 total) for studying temporal stability of riverine communities and DEB-1025958/1202930 (2010-2014, $600,000 total) on network topology shaping spatially structured communities. Awards include the Virginia Tech College of Science Diversity Award (2017), Clemson University Research Grant Committee Award (2008), and Cratis T. Williams Award for best thesis at Appalachian State University (1999). Select publications feature “Rethinking Biological Invasions as a Metacommunity Problem” (Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2021, with J.N. Barney), “Strong effects of a mutualism on stream community structure” (Ecology, 2021, with R.P. Creed et al.), “A framework for understanding how biodiversity patterns unfold across multiple spatial scales in urban environments” (Ecosphere, 2021, with C.M. Swan et al.), and “The application of metacommunity theory to the management of riverine ecosystems” (WIREs Water, 2021, with C.J. Patrick et al.). His contributions have shaped understandings of aquatic metacommunities and symbiotic interactions.