University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

EEB graduate student Gyuri Barabas has been awarded the 2012 Edwin H. Edwards Scholarship in Biology. 

Barabas’ research is aimed at uncovering the determinants of community robustness in a complicated world. “’Robustness’" in this context means the ability of communities to withstand changes in external conditions, due to climate change, for example, without extinctions happening,” Barabas said. “Conditions for the robust coexistence of unstructured populations in a constant environment has been known for a long time. The goal of the research is to extend these results to structured populations and/or fluctuating environments, yielding a unified framework in which, given data and a model of the community, conditions for robust coexistence can be determined.” Barabas’ advisor is Professor Annette Ostling.

The scholarship for graduate students studying biology is in memory of Edwards, who received his bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Michigan in 1892. The recipient is selected based on the novelty and scholarship of the proposed research; the clarity, merit, and appropriate scope and feasibility of the research plan; progress in the program including prior research results; and a letter of recommendation.

The award is for one semester during the 2012 – 2013 academic year, including stipend, tuition, and GradCare benefits. This fellowship is given via a generous bequest of Julia A. Edwards for use in the recruitment of new doctoral students studying biology and to support current students whose distinguished performance is considered worthy of special recognition. Edwards received his B.S. in biology in 1892.