Program in Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology (PEEC)

PEEC News

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Study: 72% of Illinois wetlands no longer protected by federal Clean Water Act
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois once harbored more than 8 million acres of wetlands. By the 1980s, all but 1.2 million wetland acres had been lost, filled in for development or drained to make way for agriculture. Now, thanks to a 2023 Supreme Court decision, roughly 72% of the remaining 981,000 acres...
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New model can accurately predict a forest’s future
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One of the great challenges of ecology is to understand the factors that maintain, or undermine, diversity in ecosystems, researchers write in a new report in the journal Science. The researchers detail their development of a new model that — using a tree census and genomic data...
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Researchers investigate tomato plant defense mechanisms in response to environmental stressors
A recent study published in Plant and Soil explores how tomato plants utilize both aboveground and belowground defense strategies when exposed to simultaneous environmental stressors. The research, titled "Interactions between soil source, flooding, and herbivory shape tomato plant...
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Incoming SIB grad students excel in summer research program
Four incoming graduate students—Sam Pring (Min Lab, Plant Biology), Marcus Brown (Punyasena Lab, Plant Biology), Mary Heather Jingco (Kingston Lab, PEEC), and Kehvyn Cedeño (Martínez Lab, PEEC)—recently completed the university’s competitive, fully funded 8-week Summer Predoctoral Institute (SPI)....
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PEEC student Juliana Soto-Patiño receives the Best Student Presentation Award at the 8th International Conference on Phthiraptera
Juliana Soto-Patiño, a PhD candidate in the PEEC program at the University of Illinois and researcher at the...
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SIB alumni’s podcast featured as a top pick in YouTube science spotlight
A podcast created by two SIB alumni has been spotlighted in a recent YouTube video by science communicator Angela Collier, titled “The Best Science Podcast Isn’t What You Think.”From the 9:10 to 9:53 mark of the video, Collier praises This Podcast Will Kill You, hosted by Dr. Erin...

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Discover the PEEC Labs at the University of Illinois, where curiosity meets cutting-edge research in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology. Our interdisciplinary labs offer students a dynamic environment to explore complex scientific questions, gain hands-on experience, and develop the skills needed for impactful careers in research and teaching. In PEEC, students receive personalized mentorship and training, preparing them to become innovative, technically skilled scientists with a broad understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes.

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