Daniel Ibañez IV

Daniel Ibañez IV is a 2026–2030 Self Graduate Fellow pursuing a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas (KU), where he studies evolution and speciation in bats from around the world. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Daniel earned his B.S. in Biology from New Mexico State University in 2022. Pursuing his interests in mammalogy, evolutionary biology, and natural history collections, he joined the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum, where he completed an M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 2025. Daniel's master's research used whole-genome sequencing to explore the evolutionary history of roundleaf bats from the Solomon Islands. His doctoral research focuses on the evolution and diversification of bats across the Philippine islands, integrating genomic data, morphology, and museum collections to understand how geographic isolation, adaptation, and gene flow contribute to speciation. In addition to investigating the evolutionary processes that shape bat diversity, he studies the viruses that occur within mammals to better understand patterns of host–virus diversity and evolution. Following graduate school, Daniel plans to pursue a career in specimen-based research at a natural history museum, where he will continue his research, mentor future scientists, and steward a mammal collection into the genomics era.

Mentor: Jocelyn P. Colella, Ph.D. Curator - Mammalogy, KU Biodiversity Institute