By Petra Dreiser

Four students from the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB) have been selected for Dr. Sergiy and Tetyana Kryvoruchko Graduate Scholarships . The Kryvoruchkos began financially supporting students from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Science in 2022, originally with the aim to both foster academic excellence and preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage. Since then, the pair of entrepreneurs have extended their generosity with additional awards in areas of interest to them, most recently to master’s and PhD students in EEB. 

Who are the four award-winning scholars and what are they researching? 

Sarah Babaei is a third-year PhD student working with Nathan Lujan at the Royal Ontario Museum. She is interested in how populations and species arise, specifically in the factors that accelerate or inhibit speciation in diverse freshwater ecosystems. To investigate these dynamics, Babaei applies tools of population genomics to freshwater fish across North and South America. Beyond its contributions to evolutionary biology, Babaei’s research has direct applications for conservation and management. This includes assessing the genetic health of economically vital species, tracking the spread of invasive species, and identifying genetically compatible source populations for reintroducing extirpated stocks. “Receiving this award means that I’ll be able to participate in international conferences to present my dissertation results to broader audiences,” she says. 

Chris Carlson is a PhD student in his third year working in the lab of Megan Frederickson. Carlson studies coevolution (reciprocal evolutionary changes) that occurs in mutualisms, mutually beneficial interactions between species. Coevolution between mutualists is implicated in important evolutionary transitions, such as the rise of multicellular life, but theory of mutualistic coevolution lags behind that of antagonisms. To help close that gap, Carlson uses mathematical models to study open questions in mutualism theory, such as how coevolution affects mutualists’ adaptation and survival in a changing environment and what signatures coevolution leaves in mutualists’ genomes. Carlson expresses deep gratitude for the award, acknowledging that it will “play a significant role in supporting my research at U of T.” 

Robert Masaki Hechler, a fourth-year PhD student, works with Marty Krkosek. He is a quantitative ecologist interested in the causes and consequences of unstable population dynamics for ecological stability. Hechler studies how environmental variability and life history traits jointly shape the erratic population fluctuations often observed in nature and, paradoxically, how these unstable populations may promote stability when embedded in biodiverse ecosystems. Through his work, Hechler aims to further our understanding of how complex ecosystems operate, thereby providing practical information for conservation and management. He says, “I am deeply grateful to Dr. Sergiy and Tetyana Kryvoruchko for their generous support of my research on biodiversity dynamics under global change.” 

Nora Kroeger is completing her MSc at UTM under the supervision of Marc Johnson. Kroeger combines theories of island biogeography and evolutionary biology to study how plant patch characteristics affect insect diversity and abundance. According to the theory of island biogeography, plants can act as discrete patches of food and habitat for insects that feed on them. Additionally, the evolution of a plant’s traits (e.g., chemical defense traits) can influence insect community composition and diversity. While physical patch characteristics such as size and isolation have been shown to influence community diversity, the effects of evolved plant defense traits have not been incorporated into island biogeography models. Kroeger’s work shows that the evolution of plant defense can alter the diversity and abundance of insects on plants, as well as the strength of plant-insect interactions. If it is possible to apply these results at larger spatial scales, they could provide insight into how to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. Kroeger feels “honoured to be a Kryvoruchko award recipient,” adding that it “will not only help me pursue my studies but also affirms my passion for ecology and evolutionary biology.” 

Congratulations to all four award winners!