Golden State Today

To understand Alan Hastings’ theoretical ecology research at UC Davis, it can be helpful to start by thinking about counting fish.

That’s how the distinguished professor emeritus of environmental science and policy recalled once describing his work to an immigration official in Canada while on his way to a conference.

“Think of a population of fish — if you want to predict the future dynamics of those fish, the first thing you would do is count them,” Hastings recalled saying, explaining that the resulting numbers can then be manipulated through various mathematical formulas. “This is a first start.”

UC Davis has more than 50 faculty members who belong to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, recognizing their distinguished and continuing achievements in research. The academies are among the most prestigious membership organizations in the world.

Each month, Dateline UC Davis will profile one of these faculty members in honor of their contributions to scientific research and knowledge.

The explanation was so effective that the Calgary International Airport official recognized Hastings on a subsequent trip and remembered what he had said.

Hastings describes his work as “using mathematical tools to answer real ecological questions,” like finding the best way to control an invasive grass in the San Francisco Bay, balancing the increased flood risk the grass was causing with the fact that it had become a habitat for an endangered bird.

He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of several other prestigious organizations including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Ecological Society of America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

Hastings traces his interest in the natural world to a summer program in marine biology when he was in high school. Growing up surrounded by water on Long Island, he found himself intrigued by various types of ecosystems. He went on to earn bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at Cornell University, studying applied mathematics with minors in population ecology and population genetics. 

He held roles in math departments at Washington State University starting in 1977 before joining UC Davis in 1979. He later held joint appointments with UC Davis’ Department of Mathematics and Department of Environmental Science and Policy before eventually moving solely to that latter department.

In 2019 he transitioned to emeritus status but remains active in research.

“I’m publishing at a higher rate than ever before because I have more freedom to pick and choose the things that I do,” he said. 

Earlier this year he co-authored a study on anaerobic digestors' dynamics like those found at sewage treatment plants.

He continues engaging with projects that interest him alongside colleagues he enjoys working with. He attributes this partly due to UC Davis having “one of the strongest groups of ecologists in the whole world” and being supportive of interdisciplinary work.

Over his career, Hastings has completed studies on diverse subjects such as analyzing nut production variability in pistachio trees or developing models for coral reef conservation against algae overgrowth.

When asked about frequent collaborators, Hastings named colleagues from various departments including Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology; Plant Sciences; Land, Air and Water Resources; among others.

“There have been lots of opportunities with other people at UC Davis,” Hastings said while praising his fellow faculty members' expertise.

Additionally, Hastings appreciates living close by: “Nothing can replace having your commute be a two-mile bicycle ride to and from work.”

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