Rick Relyea

Rick Relyea is the William J. Rucker Professor in Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou). He received a BS in environmental forest biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, an MS in wildlife management from Texas Tech University, and a PhD in ecology and evolution from the University of Michigan. He has authored more than 220 scientific articles and presented research seminars throughout the world.

Dr. Relyea was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh for 15 years, where he was named the Chancellor’s Distinguished Researcher and received the Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award. In 2014, he moved to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to direct the Darrin Fresh Water Institute.

In 2025, Rick moved to Mizzou to be the founding director of the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands, and Aquatic Systems. Rick has a strong interest in high school education, including hosting high school science teachers who conduct research in his laboratory. He is the author of the college textbook, Ecology: The Economy of Nature, and co-author of Environmental Science for the AP® Course, which is also published by BFW publishers.