Kathryn L. Cottingham
Professor
Appointments
Dartmouth Professor in the Arts & Sciences
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Co-Director, Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society (EEES) Graduate Program
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Fellow, Ecological Society of America
Editor-in-Chief, Ecology
Area of Expertise
aquatic ecology,
community and ecosystem ecology,
freshwater science,
quantitative biology and biostatistics
Biography
My research interests focus on freshwater lake ecology and the interactions between people and lakes. I also study linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the applications of ecological principles to public and environmental health. Lab members typically work collaboratively on topics of mutual interest using observations, experiments, and models. Our work often has a strong statistical component.
My current teaching responsibilities involve immersive, hands-on engagement with ecological research (BIOL 22) and proposal writing through the lens of the ecology of infectious disease (BIOL 50.02/150). I will also lead the spring offering of the Quantitative Ecology and Evolution research seminar (BIOL 276) and have taught in our biostatistics sequence (BIOL 29/127, 128, 129).
Education
B.A. Drew University
M.S. University of Wisconsin at Madison
Ph.D. University of Wisconsin at Madison
Publications
Ignatius, A.R., J. Gardner, P.C. Frost, S.A. McCord, C.J. Robbins, K.L. Cottingham, H.-P. Grossart, N.D. Wagner, M. Sacco, M.J. Heydenrych, M.A. Xenopoulos, N. Wagner and A. Forrest. 2026. Advancing freshwater science with emerging methods and measurement technologies. Freshwater Science 45(12): in press. https://doi.org/10.1086/744057
Trout-Haney, J.V., J.A. Brentrup, K.L. Cottingham, K.C. Weathers, B.D. Cooke, M.J. Ducey, C. Herrick, K.M. Johnson, M.W. Palace, B.G. Steele, M.C. Thompson, and D.A. Lutz. 2026. Key considerations for the use of satellite-based remote sensing for lake and reservoir research and management. Ecosphere 17(7):e70696. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70696https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.70696
Johnson, K.M., M.J. Ducey, B. Cook, and K.L. Cottingham. 2026. U.S. Census data reveal 'hidden' high-density housing under forested land cover around lakes. Ecosphere 17:e70550. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70550
McDonald, K.M. and K.L. Cottingham. 2026. Movement of adult female Ixodes scapularis Say in response to experimental manipulations of temperature and moisture. Journal of Medical Entomology 63(1): tjaf126. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaf126
Fritschie, K.J. and K.L. Cottingham. 2025. Alternative forms of brook trout nest site selection alter modeled offspring thermal experience and emergence phenology in groundwater-influenced streambeds. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 82(1):1-18. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2024-0306
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