New biological sciences employee receives international wetlands research awards, helps MSU advance ecological modeling
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.—A distinguished Mississippi State postdoctoral research associate renowned for her groundbreaking work in wetlands ecology is being recognized by the Society of Wetland Scientists with two major honors.
Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães will receive the 2024 SWS International Fellow Award and the 2024 SWS Presidential Service Award at the organization’s annual meeting in Taiwan this November. The International Fellow Award recognizes her exceptional contributions to the field of wetland science, while the Presidential Service Award highlights her extensive service to the society, particularly her role as co-chair of the international chapter since 2019.
“I am thrilled to receive this recognition from the Society of Wetland Scientists,” she said. “My work with the international chapter has been incredibly rewarding, and I am proud of the impact we’ve made in Latin America and the Caribbean. From organizing regional meetings to creating mentorship programs, my goal has always been to enhance opportunities and foster collaboration among wetland scientists globally.”
Lobato de Magalhães joined the lab of MSU Professor Gary Ervin this summer in the Department of Biological Sciences. There, she collaborates with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop advanced ecological modeling for wetlands. Previously, she served as a research professor at the Autonomous University of Queretaro in Mexico.
During her tenure with SWS, she has led significant initiatives, including organizing its meeting in South America, founding the Wetland Interviews Initiative and establishing the HumMentor program, both supporting wetland students in Latin America and the Caribbean. As a global wetland science leader, Lobato de Magalhães has been appointed head of the Wetland Ecosystems Specialist Group for the International Union for Conservation of Nature-Commission on Ecosystem Management.
Lobato de Magalhães received a Ph.D. in biology from the Autonomous University of Queretaro, a master’s degree in plant science from the Santa Catarina State in Southern Brazil and an agronomic engineer degree from the Federal Rural University of the Amazon in Brazil. Along with wetland research, she also specializes in aquatic botany, with a strong focus on ecology and landscape genetics, and the distribution of aquatic plants.
For more details about MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Biological Sciences, visit www.cas.msstate.edu and www.biology.msstate.edu.
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