Meet the principal

Dr. Emma Despland joined the Science College as a Fellow in 2005 and became the College's seventh principal in 2021.

She is a full professor in the Department of Biology and a Fellow of the Loyola Sustainability Research Centre. She is also the mother of three children.

Her research focuses on plant-insect interactions, the cornerstone of all terrestrial ecosystems, and asks questions about why insects choose to eat the plants they do, how social interactions contribute to the survival of larval insects, and how insect outbreaks explode and then collapse.

Her academic interests are broad, diverse and multidisciplinary, ranging from insect nutrition and physiology, to animal behaviour, chemical ecology, outbreak dynamics and nature conservation. Another interest touches the role of scientists in informing policy in the face of the current climate and biodiversity crises. She is also deeply committed to nature education and helping people develop a connection to the natural world.

Dr. Despland aims to foster an environment that is both supportive and stimulating, allowing students to develop their strengths, overcome their weaknesses, spread their wings and broaden their horizons. She would like to see the College act as an incubator for science talent from non-traditional backgrounds, believing there is strength in diversity and that we can go farther together than individually.

Bienvenue à tous et n'hésitez pas à me contacter si vous désirez plus d'informations.

Concordia’s Finding Urban Nature outreach project promotes the value of Montreal’s informal green spaces I Le projet d’engagement communautaire Finding Urban Nature de l’Université Concordia fait la promotion des espaces verts informels de Montréal

Blowing in the Wind: Leaf Blower Disservices for Human and Ecosystem Health in the City

Les insectes herbivores où se cachent-ils dans une forêt?

Ces fourmis que cache la forêt

From Deforestation to The Pandemic: How Destroying Ecosystems Increases Novel Infectious Diseases