Krista Nichols wins NSF early-career award

The Faculty Early Career Development awards range from $300,000 to $525,000 in research funding over four or five years. About 400 researchers win the awards annually.

Krista is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and has a split appointment with Biological Sciences.  She will use her grant to study the genetics and evolution of migration, using rainbow and steelhead trout. The research will examine the genetic basis of ecological diversity between migrating and non-migrating animals to gain a better understanding of how ecological diversity has evolved within and among species. The work also will provide an important baseline for future studies on the effects of climate change, which has been shown to impact the migration patterns of some fish species. During the project, Nichols will work with a native Alaskan village to document migration patterns of fish and to collect genetic information for use in future studies on the role of genetics, evolution and environment on ecological diversity in migrating animals. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.