Sonia Altizer

Sonia Altizer has a thing for butterflies—monarch butterflies, specifically. However, in recent years, the numbers of these migratory pollinators have dwindled owing to habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, and disease.

Dr. Altizer’s goal is to strengthen their populations. Project Monarch Health, a community-based science effort, tracks the parasites that harm monarchs and encourages citizens to make small changes—like planting native milkweed in their yards—for a big impact.

She was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of four UGA faculty who earned that distinction in 2020. Dr. Altizer began serving as interim dean of the Odum School of Ecology in July 2021.

My team studies migratory animals and their pathogens in a rapidly changing world. Donor support helped us train dozens of student interns and enlist hundreds of volunteers to track parasite infections in migratory monarchs across North America.