Rate My Professor Elsa Youngsteadt

Elsa Youngsteadt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Ecology at NC State University, where she also serves as Department Extension Leader and Urban Ecology Specialist. She earned her PhD in Entomology from NC State University in 2008. Her research focuses on the effects of urbanization, climate change, and other anthropogenic changes on insect populations, communities, interactions, and ecosystem services, with particular emphasis on plant-insect interactions. Youngsteadt leads the Youngsteadt Urban Ecology Lab, investigating urban ecosystems and climate impacts on species such as bees and ants. In her extension role, she addresses urban biodiversity and pollinator conservation, including organizing conferences on protecting pollinators in urban landscapes. She is a Faculty Fellow at the NCSU Center for Geospatial Analytics. Youngsteadt has contributed to publications on topics including bee-mediated pollen transport in urban settings, thermal limits of solitary bees, nesting biology of social bees, and diversity in suburban lawns. She co-authored the book The Bees of North Carolina. Her work supports efforts in pollinator habitat management and understanding human-modified environments.