Sarah Hobbie

Sarah Hobbie is a Regents Professor and Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities' College of Biological Sciences. She specializes in ecosystem ecology, examining the impacts of global change factors such as altered atmospheric composition, nutrient cycling, climate shifts, urbanization, and plant diversity on biogeochemical processes in terrestrial ecosystems including forests, grasslands, and urban areas. Hobbie earned her B.A. in Biology magna cum laude from Carleton College in 1986 and her Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1995. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in ecosystem ecology at Stanford University from 1995 to 1998 before joining the University of Minnesota faculty as an assistant professor in 1998, advancing to associate professor in 2004 and full professor in 2011. Throughout her career, she has held key administrative roles, including Director of Graduate Studies (2011-2014) and Director of Graduate Admissions (2005-2008) for the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Graduate Program.

Hobbie's research has profoundly influenced the field of Biology, with highly cited works such as "Consequences of changing biodiversity" (Nature, 2000), "Nitrogen limitation constrains sustainability of ecosystem response to CO2" (Nature, 2006), "Impacts of biodiversity loss escalate through time as redundancy fades" (Science, 2012), and "Plant species traits are the predominant control on litter decomposition rates within biomes worldwide" (Ecology Letters, 2008). She has secured major funding from the National Science Foundation, including CAREER awards and long-term ecological research grants, and contributed to editorial boards for journals like Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics and Ecosystems. Her accolades include election to the National Academy of Sciences (2013), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017), Ecological Society of America Fellowship (2015), University of Minnesota Regents Professorship (2023), McKnight Land-Grant Professorship (2000), and Institute on the Environment Resident Fellowship (2010-2012). Hobbie has mentored numerous graduate students and served on university committees, enhancing graduate education and interdisciplinary initiatives.

Professional Email: shobbie@umn.edu