Jim Coleman ’85 MS, ’85 MPhil, ’87 PhD is a nationally acclaimed plant ecologist with a particular gift for systems thinking and seeing the not-so-obvious connections among things that upon the surface may not seem connected. He has published more than 80 research papers that have been cited more than 10,000 times, and he has overseen $260 million of research as principal investigator.

Coleman was one of the first scientists to connect plant ecology with molecular biology, earning him a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award. His work on the ecological effects of environmental change has contributed foundational research in the field.

His contributions to plant physiological ecology and research infrastructure earned him the 2025 YSE Alumni Association Award.

Coleman pointed to his work with a team of researchers at Nevada’s nonprofit Desert Research Institute (DRI) in 1997 led by Jay Arnone ’81 MFS, ’86 MPhil, ’88 PhD that investigated the response of grassland ecosystems to changes in temperatures associated with global change as one of his most memorable studies.

DRI had built EcoCELLS — fully enclosed vessels in which they were able to accurately measure the flow and flux of gases, water, and nutrients. There were daunting challenges in conducting the project, which involved moving twelve 18-ton sections of intact grassland from Oklahoma to Reno and then into the EcoCELLS. The study was later featured on the cover of Nature in 2008.

Other foundational studies involved integrating plant development with plant ecology to understand plant responses to stress, plant interactions with insects and fungal pathogens, the response of a desert ecosystem to elevated carbon dioxide, how mercury enters forest ecosystems, and the role of heat shock proteins in helping organisms survive rising temperatures.

He held several administrative positions around the country as dean and provost before landing at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro as provost in 2020 and then returned to the classroom in 2021 as a full-time professor of biology.

He is particularly proud of his work in these roles, developing infrastructure to support the retention of undergraduates. He noted that these roles enabled him to realize that meaning comes not just from discovery, but from helping others and organizations succeed, as well as designing systems that help others to discover their own potential.

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Coleman said that teaching has been his most fulfilling work. At age 59, Coleman learned that he is autistic. He said that due to this, he was “pathologically genuine,” and unable to hide his true self — characteristics that helped him connect with his students who describe him as a compassionate, authentic, and influential professor.

“My book of life was missing all these pages.” Coleman said. “And when I found the pages, it all made sense. I could look back and see the sorts of traits I have — how they helped me and how they made me vulnerable. I don’t know how to be anything but genuine, and one of the benefits of this is that people can see the good in you.”

As Coleman moves into phased retirement this fall, he is focusing on teaching but is also devoting more time to advocacy for financially challenged students, first-generation college students, neurodiverse students, and students that are underrepresented in STEM. He has been appointed to the National Science Foundation’s Committee on Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering. He also is focusing on speaking and volunteering as it relates to navigating higher education as a neurodiverse person and is working on his first book, “Pathologically Genuine,”  which will document his journey in academic life.