Dr. Stuart Reichler is an Associate Professor of Practice at UT Austin who studies Austin's urban ecosystem along with about 50 undergraduate research collaborators under the Freshman Research Initiative program. He started his research career studying plant molecular biology and based his Ph.D. research on the molecular mechanisms of plant seedlings after initial exposure to sunlight. After completing his Ph.D., Stuart worked at the Insituto de Biotecnologia in Cuernavaca, MX for a year before returning to UT Austin to teach biology. Currently, Stuart teaches about environmental science in the Urban Ecosystems stream, combining his intimate knowledge and interests of the environment with research. He works to elucidate the interactions between humans and the other organisms we share our cities with and seeks to understand humanity's place as part of nature.