Mason Stothart | Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Mason Stothart

Portrait of graduate student Mason Stothart (MSc, Inttegrative Biology) in the atrium of Mac Donald Stewart Hall at the University of Guelph

2019 MSc Integrative Biology

About Being a Grad Student at U of G… 

There was a great graduate student community in my home department of Integrative Biology. As a group, we organized events ranging from salsa lessons and weekly communal meals, to wilderness retreats and a 'March Mammal Madness Bracket' pool.

Program

2019 Graduate – Integrative Biology, MSc

About My Advisor… 

I worked with my current advisor from the second year of my undergrad. During my time with her, I was afforded an immense amount of intellectual freedom.

What Makes U of G Unique?

The squirrels.

About Future Goals...

I hope to continue to explore research questions that interest me into my PhD and beyond.

How Will Your Research Improve Life?

Using squirrels as a model system, I study how wildlife change as they encroach and adapt to urban environments. Although not naturally occurring, urban environments are amongst the most ubiquitous and fastest growing terrestrial ecosystems on the planet. Given that the majority of humanity resides in cities, arguably the broadest human-wildlife interface exists in these concrete jungles. It is important then to understand how we are changing the wild species with which we co-habit, and the ecological, evolutionary, and public health repercussions of this sympatry.