Prospective PhD Preview (P3) and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Scholars.

Carlos Muñoz Rodriguez

Personal Statement

As a youngster, the thing that I loved most about living in the deep south of Bogota was
regularly visiting a nature reserve not far away home. I enjoyed the fresh and musty smell of the
green mountains covered by rainforest. From there, I contemplated Bogota, The city, distant and
gray, as well as my neighborhood, a densely populated barriada up on the hill, home to humble,
brave people. This natural lookout point was also the scenario for an environmental drama. I
witnessed how, through the years, a tiny yellow flower shrubland, legal and illegal buildings, and
subsistence crops got conspicuous, stealing terrain to the reserve. Eventually, my beloved forest was
almost gone, and I could do nothing to prevent it.
In light of this, it was not surprising when I joined a program in Biology Education, where I
could learn how to do both teaching and researching, powerful tools to change the world. For my
thesis, I studied a novel insect species of the Chingaza Paramo, which presumably had been
introduced indirectly by crops. 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 advocate for
and run field projects and cooperate with environmental authorities, colleagues, and communal
leaders.
At that point, it was clear to me that a more systematic training was necessary to investigate the
human effect on ecological systems. I decided to continue my academic career in Ecology by doing
a master’s degree at the top Biology program in Mexico. Relying on niche modeling, I studied the
relationship between the distribution of invasive plant species and land use in Mexico. The main
finding was that climatic variables roughly delineate the geographical distribution of these species,
but human disturbance is crucial for its introduction, establishment, and early spread. I was able to
put this knowledge to work soon after I finished my master’s. I joined a research team in charge of
developing the Invasive Species Management Plans of Mexican Protected Natural Areas. Our
analysis contributed directly to diminish the advance of invasive species upon both conservation
areas and the typically low-income rural households located nearby.
I am aiming to continue exploring the effects of human-driven environmental changes upon
biodiversity by undertaking a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I am especially
interested in studying how the interactive effects of habitat destruction, invasive plant species, and
climate change affect the distribution of bird species, as well as bird pollination and frugivory in
tropical forests. A hypothetical approximation would use GIS and biodiversity informatics tools,
mathematical modeling, alongside observational and comparative designs. This project would
contribute to advance our understanding of the interaction of anthropogenic stressors, a key
challenge in the frontier of ecological research.
In this way, I am strongly interested in the EEB Scholars and P3 at Princeton University. Those
programs will boost my competitiveness to apply to doctoral studies in top ecology and
evolutionary programs. Also, EEB Scholars and P3 will allow me both, to display my previous
experience in a community that produces cutting-edge research, and to grasp what the faculty is
searching for in a Ph.D. student, setting a benchmark in my graduate process. I would have the
opportunity to engage with Professors David Wilcove and Jonathan Levine and their labs. The
former is a leader on habitat change in tropical ecosystems, ornithologist, conservation biologist and
recognized environmental public policy actor. The latter is a renowned invasive plant species and
climate change expert. Their research agenda is fitted to my interests, and their feedback is an
invaluable asset for taking my above roughly described project to the next level.
To conclude, I have decided to pursue for a PhD in EEB because I want to master the finest
research methodologies to advance the frontiers of our knowledge of human-driven environmental
changes. Beyond contributing to the academic literature, this knowledge is critical for the
development of conservation guidelines. Besides, in the long-run, I envision myself leading the
creation and strengthening of institutions and academic programs specialized in global change
ecology in Latin America to tackle current and future pressing environmental and socio-economic
concerns in the region.