Rick Relyea

2026 Davis College Distinguished Alumni Award

Rick Relyea of Columbia, Missouri earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental and forest biology from the State University of New York and a  master’s degree in wildlife management from Texas Tech. His doctorate in ecology, evolution and organismal biology is from the University of Michigan. He is currently the director of the J Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands & Aquatic Systems and William J. Rucker Professorship in Fisheries & Wildlife for the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. He served 15 years on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, directing the Pymatuning Lab of Ecology, before leading the Darrin Fresh Water Institute and The Jefferson Project at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His research has secured more than $10 million in grants, and he has authored over 200 scientific publications, presented internationally, and influenced ecological education through 15 widely used textbooks reaching more than 2 million students. An AAAS Fellow and recipient of multiple teaching and research awards, including the Harold K. Hochschild Award for The Jefferson Project.