David Skelly

New Haven

David Skelly, Ph.D., is the Frank R. Oastler Professor of Ecology at the Yale School of the Environment and the Director of the Yale Peabody Museum. His research focuses on rapid evolution and other means by which wildlife species are responding to human changes to landscapes and climate. He has taught courses including landscape ecology, freshwater ecology, conservation science and, currently, a first-year seminar that supports beginning undergraduates as they carry out research projects using the Peabody collections. Formerly, he was the Associate Dean for Research at the School of the Environment where he oversaw the School’s doctoral program as well as its research operations and infrastructure. Over the last decade, he has led the Peabody through a strategic reorientation culminating in a renovation and expansion of the Museum which re-opened in March 2024 with new galleries and facilities for its undergraduate and K-12 programs. David has been awarded the School of the Environment teaching award on four occasions. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.