June 6^th 2024

This year, the Gault Nature Reserve awarded 4 research scholarships to students from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering at McGill University, for projects to be conducted at the Reserve in 2024. Congratulations to the recipients Greyson He, Liya Miliya, Simone Miklosi, and Emma Schubert.

These scholarships are granted for projects that align with our mission. Beyond the tangible results, which will have concrete impacts for the Reserve, research provides valuable experience to students and serves as an important stepping stone for their careers. The completion of these projects is made possible through the generosity of numerous donors. A big thank you for this invaluable support!

Meet the 2024 awardees

Greyson He is a master's student in civil engineering supervised by Stephanie Loeb, Ph.D.. As part of his project, Greyson will use the research dock mesocosms to study the natural degradation of bacteria and viruses exposed to sunlight in freshwater lakes.

Originally from Harbin in northern China, Greyson moved to Montreal in 2018 to complete his bachelor's degree at McGill. Passionate about travel and art, he explores the world through his travels and museum visits, and enjoys painting natural landscapes and animals.

Liya Miliya, a master's student in Genevieve Ali's research group (Department of Geography), is dedicated to estimating the age of a stream in Mont Saint-Hilaire. This summer, you may see her near the wooden boardwalk, collecting samples herself or calibrating the automated water monitoring equipment located there.

Originally from Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China, Liya moved to Montreal where she discovered a passion for cooking, recreating the flavors of her homeland. Outside of research, she also enjoys watching movies, especially those directed by Jiawei Wang, for his unique narrative and cinematic style.

Simone Miklosi, a Ph.D. student in biology in Melania Cristescu's laboratory, uses environmental RNA to study gene expression in fish without disturbing them. She seeks to identify genes that show signs of heat stress in various freshwater habitats, including Lake Hertel. For her experiment, Simone will use the Large Experimental Array of Ponds (LEAP) facility.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Simone is passionate about community life (creating meeting spaces, group efforts to support social and ecological causes), the arts (visual arts, reading, music), and baking.

Emma Schubert, a master's student in biology supervised by Anthony Ricciardi, studies how invasive goldfish affect the small ponds they are released into. Her project also takes place at LEAP.

Originally from Northwestern Ontario, she completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology in Kingston, Ontario before moving to Montreal. She enjoys figure skating, camping, trying new foods, and crocheting. Her goal is to inform others about invasive species impacts and management in Canada.

Header: Zofia Taranu and Maude Lachapelle, recipients of a Gault research scholarship in 2022 (photo: Alex Tran)

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