Matthew Schechter, PhD, graduated in Winter 2025 from the Microbiology program and received the Program Award for Outstanding Performance in the General Field of Microbiology. His dissertation, Gene Family Phylogeography Expands Insights into Microbial Ecology Beyond Genome Collections, conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Sam Light, introduced new approaches for understanding microbial diversity and function at a global scale. By tracing the evolutionary and geographic distribution of gene families, Matthew’s work shed light on microbial community structure and ecological adaptation in ways that move beyond traditional genome-centric analyses.
He is continuing his research as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago, where he remains focused on developing tools and frameworks that advance our understanding of microbial life across diverse ecosystems.