PhD Ecology and Evolutionary Biology-University of Michigan. Carlos Munoz.

Michigan ID # 32664150
Academic Statement of Purpose

My dedication to science has been fueled by a sense of urgency to understand and protect the biosphere in
a time of severe environmental degradation. My scientific curiosity is then also paired to my passion for
environmental education, which I view as a tool to generate necessary societal change. I am broadly
interested in how anthropological stressors alter natural systems across different scales and levels of
ecological organization. I firmly believe that joining the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program as a
Ph.D. student at University of Michigan, Ann-Arbor would be an unparalleled opportunity for me to build
a career as a world-class researcher.

In 2014, I conducted my first independent research, as part of my bachelor’s thesis, studying an insect
species novel to the Paramo ecosystem of Colombia, my native country. Oidaematophorus espeletiae had
presumably spilled over from nearby crops and was spreading rapidly throughout natural landscapes. On
my own, I figured out a preliminary model explaining the geographic range expansion of this insect
species, based on its feeding patterns and behavior coupled with environmental changes. On top of
learning how to do research and run field camp surveys, this experience allowed me to contribute to
ongoing efforts to understand complex interactions between invasive species and native plant
communities. I learned to collaborate with environmental authorities, research colleagues, and communal
leaders as well in that process. Hence, I am not only comfortable implementing research experiments in
the field but have also become well acquainted with the need to advocate for an inclusive process of
making science that involves stakeholders outside of academia.

After this encouraging experience I decided to continue my academic career in Ecology by pursuing a
master’s degree at the top program in Mexico. With an eagerness to acquire the necessary technical skills
to make the most of my studies, I enrolled in online math and programming courses, which turned out to
be worthwhile for my career in the long term.

My Master's thesis focused on the relationship between the distribution of invasive species and land use
in Mexico using niche modeling. This project required a high level of computational expertise, and it
allowed me to gain skills in Geographical Information Systems, programming in R and data analysis. The
main finding of this work was that the geographical distribution of these species in Mexico is delineated
by climatic variables, but human disturbance is crucial for its introduction, establishment, and early
spread. I also had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with Prof. Town Peterson at Kansas University
co-authored a paper in a top peer-reviewed journal during my master’s. My collaboration with Professor
Peterson’s lab has given me a unique insight into working in a collaborative and dynamic research
environment. It is how much I have enjoyed this experience that makes me confident that I would thrive
as a Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan.

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 PhD Ecology and Evolutionary Biology-University of Michigan. Carlos Munoz. Michigan ID # 32664150
Academic Statement of Purpose

My master’s project findings directly informed policy when I joined the team in charge of developing the
Invasive Species Management Plans of Mexican Protected Natural Areas. I was fascinated by being able
to witness how our analysis contributed directly to reduce the advance of invasive species in both
conservation areas and surrounding agricultural landscapes. This three-year-long exposition affirmed my
determination on pursuing a doctoral degree. For my PhD dissertation research, I am especially interested
in studying how the interactive (i.e. additive, non-additive) effects of habitat destruction, the spread of
invasive plant species, and climate change affect plant-herbivory networks. A hypothetical approximation
would require taking advantage of historical land-manage information, remote sensing, observational data
on environmental gradients of human impact, and experimental manipulations. As we enter the
Anthropocene, it is imperative that researchers seek a more accurate understanding of the interactions
between human stressors in order to create better and fitted measures intended to face global change.

Professor Nathan Sanders’ research on community, ecosystem, and macro-ecology drew me to apply to
the EEB program at UM. His lab’s focus on not only how anthropogenic stressors promote and influence
the loss of biodiversity, but also on how complex stressors interact is what I most look forward to learning
myself. The integrated approach applied in the Sanders lab, combining observational studies in
environmental gradients and experimental manipulations, is very attractive to me, as I am keen to pursue
a graduate project that incorporates field study and experimental designs with my existing analytical and
GIS skills, as well as challenging me to develop new ones. I believe his lab would be the perfect
environment for me to contribute to the research I care about. Furthermore, I find the Program of EEB
particularly attractive for its interdisciplinary nature and am excited about the prospect of collaboration
across research teams t at UM. In fact, the Edwin S. George Reserve would be a suitable and accessible
location to carry on my research proposal.

Above all, I have a fervent desire to ensure that during my PhD and beyond, I am contributing to teach
and research that can foster and inform conservation and public policy efforts playing a crucial role in
protecting imperiled natural systems. Besides, in the long-run, I envision myself being a leader of
institutions and academic programs specialized in global change ecology in Latin America to tackle
pressing environmental and socio-economic concerns in the region. I am certain that the University of
Michigan is the perfect place for me to achieve this goal.

2
 PhD Ecology and Evolutionary Biology-University of Michigan. Carlos Munoz. Michigan ID # 32664150
Academic Statement of Purpose

My dedication to science has been fueled by a sense of urgency to understand and protect the
biosphere in a time of severe environmental change. When I began my bachelor’s degree, my
passion for environmental education met my inherent scientific curiosity. Since then, I have
contributed to a myriad of projects guiding me toward a career in academic and applied research
and I am now eager to continue my education as an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Ph.D.
student at UM Ann-Arbor. Broadly, I am interested in how anthropological stressors alter natural
systems across different scales and levels of ecological organization.

I gained my first research experience in ecology in 2014 while working on my bachelor’s

thesis. I designed a thesis project to study a novel insect species of the Paramo ecosystem, which
presumably had been introduced indirectly by crops and was spreading throughout the landscape.
I figured out a preliminary explanation for the expanding geographic range of the insect, based
on its consumption patterns and feeding behavior coupled with environmental changes. On top of
contributing to a national effort to understand the interaction between the ‘exotic’ insect and key
plants of the ecosystem, I learned to cooperate with environmental authorities, colleagues, and
communal leaders in that process, as well as advocating for and running field projects. Hence, I
am not only comfortable implementing field techniques but have also become well acquainted
with the rigors of fieldwork, quickly understanding how adaptable both methods and
investigators must be when facing unpredictable conditions.

At that point, it was clear to me that more systematic training was necessary to investigate
human impact on ecological systems appropriately. I decided to continue my academic career in
Ecology by pursuing a master’s degree at the top program in Mexico. With an eagerness to
acquire the necessary technical skills to make the most of my studies, I enrolled in online math
and programming courses, which turned out to be worthwhile for my career in the long term.

My Master's thesis was a new opportunity to confirm my passion for Ecology. I studied the
relationship between the distribution of invasive species and land use in Mexico with the help of
niche modeling. It was a challenging task, as it required a high level of computational
experimentation, and I had to learn technical subjects like Geographical Information Systems,
programming in R, and data analysis on my own. The main finding was that the geographical
distribution of these species in Mexico is delineated by climatic variables, but human disturbance
is crucial for its introduction, establishment, and early spread. This project presented an
opportunity for me to appreciate the science of Ecology as a critical source of input for
environmental policymaking.

I directly experienced this relation between Ecology and public policy soon after I finished
my master’s when I joined a research team in charge of developing the Invasive Species
Management Plans of Mexican Protected Natural Areas. Among the practical tools I was
equipped with, the Early Detection and Rapid Response systems impressed me with its reliance
on a combination of empirical and theoretical research methods. At the end of this project, it was
fascinating to verify how our analysis contributed directly to constraining the advance of
invasive species in both conservation areas and the typically low-income rural households
located nearby.

3
 PhD Ecology and Evolutionary Biology-University of Michigan. Carlos Munoz. Michigan ID # 32664150
Academic Statement of Purpose

I have committed myself to a career as a researcher since college. However, it was this three-
year-long exposition to both proper academic research and environmental planning that affirmed
my determination on pursuing a doctoral degree. In fact, driven by my thirst for knowledge, I
collaborated with Professor Town Peterson at Kansas University during my master’s and
published as a co-author a paper in a top peer-reviewed journal. My time collaborating with
Professor Peterson’s lab has been exceedingly valuable not only for the fascinating research I
have been able to conduct but also as a unique insight into the reality of what I can expect as a
graduate student, working in a collaborative, dynamic research environment. It is how much I
have enjoyed this experience that makes me confident that I would thrive as a Ph.D. student at
the University of Michigan.

I am especially interested in studying how the interactive (i.e. additive, non-additive) effects
of habitat destruction, the spread of invasive plant species, and climate change affect plant-
herbivory networks. A hypothetical approximation would take advantage of historical land-
manage information, remote sensing, observational designs on environmental gradients of human
impact, and experimental manipulations as I am eager to test alternative hypotheses about
differential effects of land management, and gain an understanding of the relative importance
among anthropogenic stressors. This project would contribute to advance our understanding of
the interaction of anthropogenic stressors, a key challenge in the frontier of ecological research.
These interactions have shown being complex to incorporate into terrestrial models of global
change but may be vital to develop more accurate ones. As we enter the Anthropocene, it is
imperative that researchers seek a more accurate understanding of the interactions between
human stressors in order to create better and fitted measures intended to face global change.

I am impressed by Professor Nathan Sanders’ research on community, ecosystem, and macro-

ecology. His lab’s focus on not only how anthropogenic stressors promote and influence the loss
of biodiversity, but also work is insightful about how to make complex studies with several
interactive anthropogenic factors, what it is very much in line with my own. The integrated
approach applied in the Sanders lab, combining observational studies in environmental gradients
and experimental manipulations, is very attractive to me, as I am keen to pursue a graduate
project that incorporates field study and experimental designs with my existing analytical and
GIS skills, as well as challenging me to develop new ones. I recently spoke with Professor
Sanders and was not only intrigued by his work but was also excited by how well our interests
overlapped, I believe his lab to be the perfect environment for me to contribute to the research I
care about most. Furthermore, I find the Program of EEB particularly attractive for its
interdisciplinary nature and am excited about the prospect of participating in a graduate program
with the opportunity for collaboration across so many facets of the Ecology and the unparallel
resources at UM. In fact, the Edwin S. George Reserve would be a suitable and accessible
location to carry on my research proposal.

Above all, I have a fervent desire to ensure that during my PhD and beyond, I am contributing
to teach and research that can foster and inform conservation and public policy efforts playing a
crucial role in protecting imperiled natural systems. Besides, in the long-run, I envision myself
being a leader of institutions and academic programs specialized in global change ecology in
Latin America to tackle pressing environmental and socio-economic concerns in the region. I am
certain that the University of Michigan is the perfect place for me to achieve this goal.