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Dr. Matthew A. McCary
Assistant Professor Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Research Faculty Department of BioSciences Rice University My research examines the fundamental drivers and constraints of soil biodiversity, specifically how diversity relates to food web dynamics, community and ecosystem responses to environmental disturbances, and the feedback loops between food webs and ecosystem functioning. There are three major questions I investigate: (1) What are the impacts of fragmentation on ecosystem and community processes? (2) How do invasive species change soil biodiversity and associated ecosystem health? (3) How does ecosystem structure affect food web responses to changes in resource availability? To address these questions, I use an integrative approach that includes observational and experimental studies, ecological modeling, meta-analyses, and molecular techniques. |
Education and Background
B.A. Biology. North Central College, 2010
Ph.D. Biology, focus in Ecology and Evolution. University of Illinois-Chicago, 2016
Awards and Honors
National Academies of Sciences Ford Foundation Fellowship ($50,000), Yale University, 2020
NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology ($207,000), UW-Madison, 2017-2019
Dean’s Scholar Graduate Fellowship ($22,000), UI-Chicago, 2016
Institute for Environmental Science and Policy Fellowship ($10,000), UI-Chicago, 2015-2016
Award for Excellence in Teaching ($100), UI-Chicago, 2014-2015
Elmer Hadley Graduate Research Award ($600), UI-Chicago, 2014
Abraham Lincoln Graduate Fellowship ($25,000), UI-Chicago, 2013-2014
Tracy and Derrick Malone Scholarship ($5,000), NCC, 2008-2009
Associated Colleges of Illinois Liberal Arts Scholarship ($12,000), NCC, 2006-2010
Personal Interests
Chess, fitness training, movies, reading.
Links
Google Scholar
CV
B.A. Biology. North Central College, 2010
Ph.D. Biology, focus in Ecology and Evolution. University of Illinois-Chicago, 2016
Awards and Honors
National Academies of Sciences Ford Foundation Fellowship ($50,000), Yale University, 2020
NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology ($207,000), UW-Madison, 2017-2019
Dean’s Scholar Graduate Fellowship ($22,000), UI-Chicago, 2016
Institute for Environmental Science and Policy Fellowship ($10,000), UI-Chicago, 2015-2016
Award for Excellence in Teaching ($100), UI-Chicago, 2014-2015
Elmer Hadley Graduate Research Award ($600), UI-Chicago, 2014
Abraham Lincoln Graduate Fellowship ($25,000), UI-Chicago, 2013-2014
Tracy and Derrick Malone Scholarship ($5,000), NCC, 2008-2009
Associated Colleges of Illinois Liberal Arts Scholarship ($12,000), NCC, 2006-2010
Personal Interests
Chess, fitness training, movies, reading.
Links
Google Scholar
CV
