Kathy Toll

Dr. Kathy Toll is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Carolina. She leads the Toll Lab, which specializes in plant ecology and evolutionary genetics research using yellow monkeyflowers as a model system. Her work integrates field transplant experiments and laboratory genetic mapping to investigate plant adaptation mechanisms, speciation processes, and ecological distribution patterns.

Her primary research interests include:

• Genetic basis of natural variation in plant traits
• Ecological adaptation to diverse environments
• Evolutionary mechanisms of speciation
• Factors influencing species distributions
• Plant-environment interactions

Dr. Toll actively mentors graduate and undergraduate researchers. Notable student achievements under her guidance include:

• Genevieve Triplett (Masters student) receiving an Honorable Mention for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (2025)
• Marissa Johnson (undergraduate) awarded the Sustainable Magellan Award (2025)

The Toll Lab continues to investigate how adaptive traits evolve and shape biodiversity patterns in natural plant populations.