Meet our faculty: Melissa Guzman

Academic focus: Biodiversity big data and insect conservation

Research summary: The goal of my research is to help improve insect conservation by developing statistical methods that better use all available data. While the distribution of some species is changing, it is actually very difficult to make reliable inferences as to which species are declining and by how much from the often messy and complex historical and spatial datasets that are available – for example, historical museum records, where species occurrences are aggregated. For many insects, this is the only type of data we have. To address this gap, my research focuses on determining if and how statistical models can be applied to historical records without yielding biased trends. In my research I also apply these statistical models to determine how the distribution of pollinators has changed through time, where museum records provide lots of information. I am also interested in determining which drivers (e.g., pesticide use, climate change, land use change, etc.) are causing the most decline of the most pollinator species in different regions of North America. Finally, I translate these insights to potential insect conservation solutions, such as expediting assessments of endangered insects, or using information on plant-pollinator interactions to prioritize native plants that better support pollinator communities. 

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I really enjoy training my dog and doing fiber arts, like crochet and quilting. I find a lot of enjoyment at building with my hands. I also love cooking and trying new recipes from different parts of the world.

What are your current outreach/extension projects?

Because my research has potential implications for conservation, I have been working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and WWF-Canada to provide maps and trends for endangered pollinators, including at-risk species such as Suckley’s bumble bee, western bumble bee and Crotch’s bumble bee.

What are three adjectives people might use to describe you?

Enthusiastic, responsible, friendly 

What brought you to Cornell CALS?

Cornell CALS offers a unique opportunity to interact with excellent researchers that are studying the entire breadth of biological sciences and beyond. Further, Cornell CALS gives us the opportunity to engage with stakeholders in agriculture. It also reduces the barriers to collaborating. It truly is a unique place.

What do you think is important for people to understand about your field?

Insects are much less monitored than other groups, such as mammals. There is still a lot we do not know about which species are declining, where and what is causing their decline. In fact, there are a lot of species that have not even been described. And yet, insects are crucial for maintaining our life on Earth.

Why did you feel inspired to pursue a career in this field? 

I fell in love with biology when I was a little kid. I am motivated by working through problems and linking entomology and data science. Seeing cool bugs also brings me joy and inspires me to keep going.

What’s the most surprising/interesting thing you’ve discovered about Cornell and/or Ithaca so far?

Everyone is incredibly nice! Cornell and Ithaca have a very strong community that is very welcoming. It has made the transition much easier.

If you could relate your work to one of the four transdisciplinary moonshots, which one would you most closely align with and why? They are: Redesigning 21st Century Agri-Food Systems; Accelerating Holistic Climate Solutions; Leading in Synthetic Biology; and Pioneering Life Science Breakthroughs.

I was hired as part of the Empowering Biodiversity for People and the Planet cohort in the Pioneering Life Science Breakthroughs moonshot.