The Theodosius Dobzhansky Prize is awarded annually by the Society for the Study of Evolution to recognize the accomplishments and future promise of an outstanding young evolutionary biologist. The prize was established in memory of Professor Dobzhansky by his friends and colleagues, and reflects his lifelong commitment to fostering the research careers of young scientists. 

2019 Dobzhansky Prize Winner: Dr. Matthew Pennell

Congratulations to the 2019 Dobzhansky Prize Winner, Dr. Matthew Pennell. Dr. Pennell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Canada Research Chair in Biodiversity Theory and Informatics. His research uses theory, statistical methods, and computational tools to investigate how ecological and evolutionary processes operating across deep time shape patterns of biodiversity. Prior to his appointment as assistant professor, Dr. Pennell was an Izaak Killam Memorial and NSERC postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Zoology at UBC. He also worked as a Graduate Fellow at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, NC. He received his PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Idaho and his bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. He received a Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Naturalists in 2016. Dr. Pennell’s research has been published in the journals Evolution, Nature, Systematic Biology, The American Naturalist, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, New Phytologist, PLoS Genetics, and Journal of Ecology, among others.

Past Dobzhansky Prize winners: