Rate My Professor Brad Lamphere

Brad Lamphere is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Mary Washington, where he teaches and conducts research in aquatic biology and evolutionary ecology. An ecologist focused on how fishes and other aquatic animals respond to environmental changes, Lamphere earned his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed postdoctoral research projects at North Carolina State University. Before joining UMW in 2016, he held teaching positions at Washington and Lee University and the College of William and Mary. His career has emphasized the ecology and evolution of freshwater fishes, including the influence of introduced species on native aquatic communities. Lamphere's fieldwork spans diverse ecosystems, from the North Carolina mountains and Trinidad’s rainforests to Hawai’i’s streams, with current efforts centered on eastern Virginia’s rivers and wetlands.

Recent research projects investigate competition between native fishes and closely related invaders, the effects of predators on the survival of young oysters, how predator presence alters prey defense traits, and the impact of urbanization on stream fish assemblage composition. He has initiated studies on the Northern Snakehead, an invasive fish species from Asia. Lamphere has published key works such as “Experimental evaluation of predation as a facilitator of invasion success in a stream fish” (2013), “Migratory gauntlets on oceanic islands: Watershed disturbance increases the cost of amphidromy” (2019), “Fish introductions and light modulate food web fluxes in tropical streams: A whole-ecosystem experimental approach” (2016), “PREDATION AS A FACILITATOR OF INVASION SUCCESS IN A STREAM FISH” (2013), and “Genetic estimates of population structure and dispersal in a benthic stream fish” (2012). His 12 publications have accumulated 248 citations. Lamphere serves on the University Faculty Affairs Committee as an at-large member (term ending 2026) and as Secretary for the 2025-2026 term. His contributions extend to student research symposia and faculty-led study abroad programs, such as trips to the Galapagos Islands.