Understanding how adaptation proceeds via natural selection is a central goal of evolutionary biology, with broad implications for the generation and maintenance of biodiversity. Our research group investigates the dynamics of rapid adaptation using manipulative experiments that combine ecology, evolution, and genomics. We aim to characterize the pace, genomic architecture, and ecological consequences of rapid evolution in natural environments. This includes investigations of the substrates on which selection acts to drive adaptive tracking —including standing genetic variation, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and microbiome evolution. We also use experimental and genomic approaches to measure coupled demographic and evolutionary responses in populations facing rapid environmental change to understand the process of evolutionary rescue. Together, these efforts contribute to an emerging view of how organisms adapt, or fail to adapt, in response to environmental stress.