Ben Winger has been awarded a Dissertation Improvement Grant from the National Science Foundation for his dissertation research "A genomic approach to understanding allopatric differentiation in tropical montane birds." The $12,697 will allow him to gather genomic sequence data fom paairs of species and populations that are distributed across the Marañon Rover Valley, one of the most significant geographic features influencing many animal distributions in the Andes. Ben is also gathering comparative data on morphologic, plumage, and vocal data in addition to the genetic component of his research. This comparative assessment will help unravel the patterns and processes that govern evolution in this region of high species diversity.