Dr. Agostina Torres

Professor

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Biography

Agostina Torres is a community ecologist with broad interests in plant communities and mutualistic networks, particularly in the context of a changing world. Her research focuses on the context dependency of processes—specifically, how spatial and temporal variations in environmental conditions shape species interactions and community dynamics. Torres is particularly interested in historical contingencies, priority effects, and the influence of community reassembly on ecosystems. Her work examines how climate change reshapes the composition and structure of ecological communities, investigating how plant communities reorganize across spatial gradients using long-term datasets, functional traits, and ecological models. She also studies the implications of phenological changes on species interactions, including how shifts in flowering timing may create priority effects within plant-pollinator networks. Additionally, she explores how communities respond to species gains and losses, focusing on the ecological contexts that shape recovery pathways and the effects of invasive species on plant community assembly and mutualistic interactions.

Research Interests

Experience

Staff Professor

— Present

ETH Zurich • Zürich, Switzerland

Responsible for leading research and teaching in the field of plant ecology.

Requirements for ETH Zurich

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.4
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:159
Verbal Percentile
Required:80
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:81
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Writing Percentile
Required:85
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a related field (Engineering, Natural Sciences, or Mathematics) Minimum 180 ECTS credits Subject-specific knowledge equivalent to ETH Bachelor's programs
Application Checklist
  • Bachelor's degree diploma or transcript
  • Official academic transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Letter of Motivation (1 page)
  • Two academic recommendation letters
  • English language proficiency certificate
  • GRE General Test (for non-EU/EFTA applicants)
Specialization Notes

The GRE is mandatory for students who did not obtain their Bachelor's degree in an EU/EFTA state. Some departments (e.g., Computer Science) have specific ECTS credit requirements in core subjects.