Andrew Davies
PhD Candidate
Biography
Major advisor: Dr. Jeremie Fant
- Research topic: Conservation Genetics of Rare Plant Species
- Research interests: Population genetics, threatened and endangered species, plant responses to climate change, ecological restoration, GISAwards
- Dissertation title: “The Conservation and Restoration Genetics of Endemic Plant Species in Small Populations”
AWARDS
2025
- Fulbright U.S. Program Research Scholarship to Ecuador (2025 – 2026)
2024
- Northwestern Plant Biology and Conservation Conference Travel Award $600
- Northwestern Plant Biology and Conservation Award for PhD Students $1600
2023
- Friends of Nachusa Grasslands Science Award $8,000
- Northwestern Plant Biology and Conservation Conference Travel Award $600
2022
- Northwestern University Conference Travel Award $600
- Northwestern Francis Y. Kwong Memorial Award $2500
- Alumnae of Northwestern University Research Grant $2000
- Northwestern Plant Biology and Conservation Award for MS Students $1500
- Illinois Native Plant Society Research Grant $2500
Research
My research prioritizes applied conservation questions that can be applied to groups of rare plant species by using non-model but representative systems. The first half of my graduate work utilizes population genetics, plant biology, and demography to assess the consequences of small population size on the population genetics and fitness of a threatened midwestern endemic plant that grows in sandhill prairies and savannas. The goal of this work is to parse out the impacts of population size and population genetics on reproductive fitness, and to determine which life history stage is most impacted to inform more focused management and restoration efforts. The second half of my dissertation will assess the efficacy of reforestation of endangered Ecuadorian Magnolia in capturing the genetic diversity of wild populations. I will also assess gene flow between populations and document the essential pollination and seed dispersal relationships that maintain it. This project has been designed in close collaboration with Ecuadorian conservation organizations, and will help guide future reforestation efforts of several red listed Magnolia.