David Skelly studies the ecology and evolution of animals to better understand how they respond to change, including human effects on the environment. For this work, he has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has also been involved in academic administration since 2009, serving as Associate Dean for Research for the School of Environment for 5 years. Since 2014, he has served as director of the Yale Peabody Museum raising more than $200 million and overseeing a highly successful renovation that repositioned the museum with its university and public audiences.
