Winner: Siti Fauziyah

I propose a comprehensive study of non-migratory and migratory dragonflies in the Libellulidae family by combining evolutionary and computational approaches, to help understand how wing morphology contributes to aerodynamic efficiency. My first task was to identify Libellulidae species that would be available for study (museum and/or field collection). In this study, 1) I will collect the morphological data from the fore- and hindwing and run simulation to learn how these morphological feature affect the wing's rigidity, and 2) perform the bending test to calculate the flexural stiffness of the wing.

Winner: Jack Calvery

My name is Jack Calvery, and I am currently a graduate student in EEB. I study under Dr. Ripan Malhi and Dr. Julian Catchen, primarily analyzing ancient and modern salmon DNA. Our goal is to uncover population structure within these ancient and modern populations and then dive deeper to potentially uncovering the effects of their whole genome duplication events. My favorite part about EEB is the welcoming and wholesome student body. Finally, my favorite past time is eating food.

Winner: Jeannette Cullum

I am a Ph.D. candidate and NSF Graduate Research Fellow advised by Dr. Carla Cáceres in the Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology. I study the impact of anthropogenic stressors on disease dynamics in freshwater ecosystems. I currently focus on the effects of pesticide runoff on a freshwater zooplankton, Daphnia, andits fungal pathogen. I plan to use this funding to investigate how exposure to pesticide pollution changes the microbiome of juvenile and adult Daphnia. This work will allow me to expand the scope of my research and explore links between host fitness and the microbiome.

Winner: Abby Weber

I am a PhD candidate in Phil Anderson's lab studying the evolution of parasitoid wasp ovipositors!

Winner: Avi Berger

My current research investigates the material properties of avian eggshells relative to the development of the embryo during incubation. I am CT scanning developed eggs from wild birds to evaluate shell shape, structure, and embryo posture to understand the mechanics of hatching.

Winner: Claire Berdik

I am a first-year Entomology PhD student, co-advised by Dr. Adam Dolezal (Entomology) and Dr. Mark Davis (Illinois Natural History Survey). This award will support my current research, which focuses on further validating the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) as a tool for monitoring moths. My long- term research goal is to implement both conventional and eDNA monitoring methods to investigate the threat statuses of local moth populations and the spatial relationship between moth persistence and anthropogenic land-use changes.

Winner: Rebecca Cloud

I am a PhD candidate in the Cáceres lab researching Culex mosquito microbiomes. I plan to use this award to fund experiments evaluating the interaction of Wolbachia infection and stress on mosquito life history traits and vector competence.

Winner: Mary Heather Jinco

Mary Heather Jingco is a first year PEEC PhD student in the Kingston Lab. Driven by a passion for bat conservation, her research focuses on the conservation ecology of the endangered Mariana Fruit Bat, Pteropus mariannus. This summer, Heather will be traveling across the Southern Mariana Islands to study roosting preferences of P. mariannus. Using field surveys, remote sensing, and land-use analyses, she aims to identify the environmental and landscape factors that influence roost site selection in the species. Her findings will form the foundation of her first dissertation chapter and contribute to guiding conservation management of the species.

Winner: Satinderpal Kaur

I am doing my Ph.D. in Entomology. My research is majorly focused on understanding the effect of flooding stress of maize on plant- insect interactions. I will be working in a field project in which we artificially flooded the maize crop and I will be analyzing the metabolomic profile changes in the maize plants in response of flooding stress, and the implications of these metabolite changes for insect feeding. I plan to use the funding to my summer research, this summer I will be conducting the second season of this field study. This scholarship will be very helpful for me in conducting my field research as well as it will motivate me to work more effectively.

Winner: Amanda Martinez

Amanda Martinez is a Ph.D. student in the Collaborative Conservation Genomics Lab in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior. Her research focuses on integrating conservation genomics into recovery strategies for the Louisiana pine snake (Pituophis ruthveni). She uses genomic tools alongside environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches to assess genetic diversity, improve detection of rare species, and inform conservation and reintroduction efforts. Her work aims to provide actionable, data-driven insights to support long-term species recovery.

Winner: Jenalyn Ostendorf

Jena Ostendorf is an Entomology PhD student co- advised by Dr. Adam Dolezal and Dr. Mark Davis. Jena received her B.S. in plant science from the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities and double minored in insect science and science communications. Currently, her current research aims to determine if drone imagery is consistent with traditional plant surveys. This summer Jena will also be spending a lot of time performing field work, processing eDNA samples, and identifying bees.

Winner: Emmy Medina Espinosa

Winner: Wilfred Tang

Winner: Anna Grimes

I study Daphnia, a genus of aquatic crustaceans that float through the water column and play a vital role in freshwater ecosystem function. My research focuses on how these keystone species detect and respond to predator cues, and how human impacts, like pesticide runoff, might disrupt these defenses. This award will support both fieldwork in local aquatic systems and controlled lab studies to better understand environmental stressors and predator-prey dynamics.

Winner: Luke Settles

I seek to address methodological uncertainties within the field of pollinator eDNA, such as the poor understanding of DNA deposition rates by target species as well as detection efficiency of widely used yet novel protocols. I propose running several iterations of calibration experiments which would indicate how much DNA was recoverable under controlled lab settings before scaling up, granting us a better understanding of field-collected data and contributing significantly to a knowledge gap in the field. Additionally, I would continue an existing project in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy comparing the efficacy of eDNA to traditional pollinator survey methods in solar facilities.

Winner: Yangkang Chen

Yangkang Chen is a second-year PhD student in the PEEC program, advised by Dr. Benjamin Van Doren. His research uses data science, statistics, and computation to study bird migration as a model for understanding spatiotemporal dynamics in natural systems. He is particularly interested in how organisms move across space and time, how ecological communities are structured across the annual cycle, and how large-scale biodiversity patterns can be revealed from complex datasets. His work includes population-level migration modeling across North America and research on species associations in migratory bird communities. More broadly, his research aims to link methodological innovation with ecological insight to better understand continental-scale ecological processes.

Winner: Yutoa Chen

I’m from the ABC lab. I work on micro-, nano- topographies on insect cuticles and study their multifunctionality. My main project focuses on studying antibacterial property of the nanostructures on cicada wings and mimicking these structures on engineering material surfaces. I’m also exploring the structures and chemistry of other insect cuticles.

Winner: Timothy Legare

I am a second-year PhD student in the Fuller lab, studying drivers of speciation. I am particularly interested in hybridization and behavioral isolation's role in maintaining and degrading species complexes. I am currently investigating the Lucania killifish, after their recent introduction into the San Francisco Bay. This award will allow me to begin sequencing killifish from the bay, so we can begin investigating and comparing their population dynamics to what we already know from Florida, their native range.

Winner: August Lipari

In my research I aim to explore the link between polyploidy, phenotype, and drought tolerance in resurrection grass M. caffra through phenotyping, transcriptomics, and genome duplication.

Winner: Blaine Martin

Blaine Martin is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Jim Dalling’s lab in the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Illinois. Blaine’s dissertation focuses on the root associated fungi and population dynamics of Podocarpus, a genus of tropical conifers, and will continue fieldwork in Panamá this summer.

Winner: Naomi Cobb

My research aims to develop a computational model of the tarsal microstructures in Madagascar hissing cockroaches, providing insight into the mechanisms by which the cockroach maximizes surface area contact across different surfaces. The study will focus on the microstructures of the attachment pads and the structural integrity of the unguis. By employing Finite Element Analysis (FEA), this work will contribute to the development of bioinspired adhesive materials and establish methodology for comparative studies on attachment structures in other insect species.

Winner: Austin Coulter

Austin Coulter is a fourth-year PhD student in the Kukekova Lab studying the genetics and neural mechanisms of animal behavior, particularly domestication. He previously earned degrees in Biology and Zoology & Physiology, focusing on the neural basis of behavior in animals. His current research investigates differences in brain function across tame, aggressive, and conventional silver fox populations from the Farm Fox Experiment. Austin aims to uncover how neural and genetic mechanisms shape behavioral variation.

Winner: Samantha Dubbs

I am a current third year graduate student in the Entomology Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and co-advised by Dr. May Berenbaum and Dr. Adam Dolezal. My current research focuses on various aspects of honey bee-derived propolis – including chemical composition, its effects on honey bee physiology, and honey bee resin foraging behavior.

Winner: Hannah Murray

I am a first year student in Dr. Katy Heath's lab and I am studying how bacterial fitness can impact the legume- rhizobia mutualism. This award will allow me to conduct a summer field sampling trial at a LTER in Michigan to see if natural soil isolated bacterial communities impact the fitness of my bacteria strains and how that in turn impacts the plant.

Winner: Vincent Prayugo

I'm a 3rd year PhD student at the Dolezal Lab studying the effects of stressors in honey bees, specifically pesticides and viruses. I plan to use the funding to research the potential of Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) to manipulate immature honey bee cuticular hydrocarbons profile to increase its fitness within the colony.

Winner: Weiqing Qu

I am a second-year PhD student in PEEC. I earned my Bachelor’s degree from East China Normal University and my Master’s degree from New York University. My research explores the mechanisms underlying species’ vulnerability to climate change, examining spatial patterns, trait associations, and conservation hotspots, with the goal of informing and advancing biodiversity conservation efforts.

Winner: Adrien Seabloom

I am working towards my PhD and pursuing research about native bees, specifically the effects of agricultural fungicides on ground nesting bees. I plan to use the funding to research the effects of Pyraclostrobin on ground nesting bee larval development and nesting behaviors. This fellowship will help me complete essential pilot studies over the summer that will pave the way for the rest of my research on pollinators throughout my time here at UIUC.

Winner: Malavika Venu

I am studying the evolutionary origins of eusocial behavior using Drosophila melanogaster social networks.

Winner: Allanis Vera Barron

Hello! I am Allanis Vera Barron. Currently, I am a second-year PhD student in the department of Plant Biology. My research pursues studying and understanding the interactions between plants and microorganisms, specifically the induced immune response of seeds against the attack of fungal pathogens in tropical forest ecosystems. This study will provide us with a better understanding in how the coffee microbiome is shaped at different stages of coffee fermentation and how different microorganisms could influence coffee flavor in one of the most priced coffee variety “Geisha” in Panama. This award will help me to process my samples from Panama through DNA extraction and sequencing. I really appreciate the support that you all give, specifically, in this research field.

Winner: Noah Volin

I am a first-year PhD student in the Marks Lab. My broad research interests focus on the evolutionary ecology of unique plant adaptations. My research at Illinois centers on Microchloa afra, a desiccation-tolerant grass from southern Africa with the remarkable ability to dry out almost completely and “resurrect” upon rehydration. I study phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation in this species across its range integrating climate data with a combination of common garden experiments and preserved herbarium specimens.