04/03/2026
A HUGE congratulations to Dr. Nathan Furey on this great accomplishment!
Nathan Furey has been named the first Robert Summers Professor of Biology.
The new professorship, established through a generous $1 million gift from philanthropist Robert Summers, recognizes exemplary research and a strong commitment to mentoring graduate students.
Furey’s lab focuses on aquatic animal movement, mostly fishes but also seabirds and crustaceans. Furey and his students study where the animals go and why.
One focus is the spawning migrations of fishes that move from the ocean to freshwater to spawn, connecting our land and sea. Beyond reproduction, there is another motivation his lab investigates.
“Animals often move because of food, as they seek to eat and avoid being eaten themselves,” says Furey. “We have a variety of projects looking at changes in food availability and quality along the New England coast and how those changes affect the movement and success of animals in the ecosystem.”
The professorship funding will catalyze research in Furey’s lab in important ways: by directly supporting field work and by expanding opportunities for his students to do summer research, attend conferences, and develop innovative and exciting new projects.
