University of Groningen
Understanding the evolution of infidelity using the Seychelles warbler system
Raj Pant, Sara
DOI:
10.33612/diss.108086950
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Publication date: 2019
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
Raj Pant, S. (2019). Understanding the evolution of infidelity using the Seychelles warbler system. Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.108086950
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Acknowledgements
During the past four years many people have enriched my life as a PhD student, both in Norwich, where I spent the first two years of my PhD, and in Groningen, where I spent the last two years.
I would first like to thank my supervisors Prof. Jan Komdeur, Prof. David Richardson, and Prof. Hannah Dugdale, who made this work possible. Thank you for all the knowledge you shared with me and for your advice and encouragements throughout these years. And thank you Jan and David for helping me secure funding for the final year of my PhD.
I would also like to thank Prof. Terry Burke, Dr. Martijn Hammers, Dr. Dave Wright and Dr. Maaike Versteegh for their scientific advice and valuable comments on my work. I have learnt a lot from you too. And thank you Martijn for sharing helpful and whole-rounded advice on successfully doing a PhD, and for your support and friendship.
Prof. Tracey Chapman, Prof. Andy Russel and Prof. Irene Tieleman, many thanks for accepting to be in the assessment committee of this thesis.
I would like to thank the people that have been part of the Seychelles warbler project, as they have added a valuable contribution to the long-term dataset and have created a lovely atmosphere in the field and/or in warbler meetings, including Martijn, Jen, Charli, Alex, Frank, Kat, Sjouke, Dave, Michela, Janske, Marco and Owen.
Thank you to all the people at UEA who made the first half of my PhD so enjoyable, including Lilja, Phil, Dave, Jen, Becky, Scottish Dave, Laura and bumblebee Dave. A big thank you to Giulia for being such a wonderful friend and flatmate – grazie amica mia per tutti i tuoi consigli, le nostre discussioni filosofiche, le squisite cene e tutti i bei momenti passati insieme! Thank you, Charli, for your friendship and for having printed and submitted my thesis at UEA since I live abroad – I am so glad we met back in the day in the Kalahari, it has been fantastic.
I also wish to thank the wonderful people I spent the second part of my PhD with at the RUG. A big thank you to Michela for her wonderful friendship, hospitality when I first arrived in the Netherlands, her statistical advice, and all the good times together – grazie Michi, hai davvero arricchito questi anni a Groningen, non vedo l’ora di perdermi con te
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Acknowledgements nella prossima scampagnata! I also want to thank many more wonderful people at the RUG for their friendship and support, including Xiaoyan, Mirjam, Martje, Reinaldo, Juan-Diego, Quingtian, Christina, Joyce, Ma Long and Maaike. A big thank you to Xiaoyan and Mirjam for being wonderful friends as well as being my paranymphs.
I want to thank my Netherlands-based friends, met in random circumstances before I moved to Groningen, and who made my time in the Netherlands so enjoyable. Selin and Nino, thank you for all the good times together in Groningen and on Texel and for always being such wonderful friends and hosts. Amanda, I am so glad we met in Kenya back in the day, it was such a wonderful experience and I am glad we could continue spending time together in your home country. Also, I wish to thank the group of crazy Italians in Groningen and people in the Judo group, who have made my time here so fun!
Thank you Madiha, Guillaume, Lucy and Alice for your amazing friendship, even from a distance, for all the laughter and for always cheering me up. I am so glad that after all these years, despite being scattered all over the place, we still manage to meet regularly have a wonderful time together.
Thank you to my friends and family in Valsesia. Grazie Dottoressa per la tua amicizia, I saggi consigli, le belle camminate in collina e i fantastici risotti – mi hai davvero aiutata nei momenti pazzi prima della consegna. Grazie di tutto zio e cugi, un abbraccio!
Finally, a very special thank you to my wonderful globe-trotting father, who has always inspired and supported me throughout the years. Grazie babbo per avermi sempre incoraggiata e sostenuta, specialmente nei momenti più critici. Grazie per tutta la conoscenza che hai condiviso e continui a condividere con me e per avermi portata in innumerevoli spedizioni alla ricerca della sostenibilità quando ero giovane – mi hanno aperto la mente ed ispirata a seguire la mia passione naturalistica. E grazie per aver sempre creduto in me.
