Rate My Professor Scott Shaffer

Scott Shaffer is a Professor of Ecology and Evolution in the Department of Biological Sciences at San Jose State University, where he joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 2009, became associate professor in 2013, and full professor in 2017. He holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz (2000), an M.S. in Marine Sciences from UC Santa Cruz (1996), and a B.S. in Biology from San Diego State University (1993). Prior appointments include Assistant Professor at California State University, San Bernardino (2008–2009), and multiple research biologist roles at UC Santa Cruz from 2000 to 2015, alongside adjunct positions. His early career featured practical experience as an aviculturist at SeaWorld San Diego and animal keeper in the U.S. Navy marine mammal program.

Shaffer’s research centers on the physiological ecology of birds and mammals, particularly marine vertebrates, investigating foraging behavior, habitat use, energy allocation, and breeding biology through advanced techniques like doubly labeled water for metabolic measurements and biologging devices for field data collection. With over 40 expeditions to remote sites including Antarctica, New Zealand, Alaska, Hawaii, and the California coast, his studies have advanced understanding of seabird ecology and conservation. Prominent publications co-authored by Shaffer include “Tracking Apex Marine Predator Movements in a Dynamic Ocean” (Nature, 2011), “Migratory shearwaters integrate oceanic resources across the Pacific Ocean in an endless summer” (PNAS, 2006), “As the egg turns: Monitoring egg attendance behavior in wild birds using novel data logging technology” (PLoS ONE, 2014), “The political biogeography of migratory marine predators” (Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2018), and “Contaminants, prolactin and parental care in an Arctic seabird” (General and Comparative Endocrinology, 2020). Awards and honors encompass the College of Science Dean’s Scholar Award for Research Excellence (2018), Provost’s University Scholar (2013), Elton Prize (2001), NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Award (1999), and Fellowship in the California Academy of Sciences (2022). Shaffer teaches courses such as Physiological Ecology, Conservation Biology, and graduate seminars in ecology, and directs the ShAPE Lab while mentoring M.S. students.