Tom Bruns’s core scientific focus is fungal biology. In an era when organismal sciences and traditional “-ologies” may receive less emphasis, he remains unapologetically committed to advancing Mycology. Within this broad field, his primary emphasis has been fungal ecology, particularly at the levels of community ecology and autecology. This work is critical, as fungi play essential roles in all terrestrial ecosystems yet remain significantly understudied relative to their ecological importance. Bruns’s earlier research centered largely on ectomycorrhizal fungi and included developing molecular tools for identifying fungi in environmental samples; investigating the determinants of fungal community structure; examining the autecology and population structure of key ectomycorrhizal species; studying the ecology and evolution of non-photosynthetic, epiparasitic plants and their fungal hosts; analyzing the structure, behavior, and function of ectomycorrhizal spore banks; exploring landscape-level patterns of spore dispersal and tree recruitment; and conducting population genomics research on Suillus brevipes.