Colin Orians is a Professor of Biology at Tufts University. He serves on the Editorial Board for Oecologi, as an Associate Editor for AoB PLANTS, and is the previous Chair of the Plant Herbivore Interaction Gordon Research Conference, and is the Director of the Environmental Studies Program. Colin is interested in Global Change Biology, with particular emphasis on climate change, species invasion, and sustainability of natural and agricultural ecosystems. As a research group, he currently works in diverse agroecosystems – tea in China, coffee in Costa Rica, and vegetables and grains in Massachusetts – as well as in old fields, hemlock forests and urban green roofs. For example, he is studying the effects of climate change and herbivores on tea chemistry, and how it affects tea quality and productivity (as well as farmer livelihoods!). By integrating physiological, chemical, isotope techniques and theory, he strives to elucidate patterns, identify mechanisms, and anticipate future threats.
