CURRENTLY I am a Wildlife Ecology MS student in the Zuckerberg Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In service to state, federal, & NGO partners, my work employs species distribution models trained on community science data to relate avian range-shifts—be them climate- or land use-mediated—to protected area networks in the Upper Great Lakes region. A North American Banding Council-certified songbird banding trainer, I also edit the organization’s newsletter, Avise.

RESEARCH INTERESTS include global change & spatial ecology with a focus on movement, behavioral & cognitive plasticity, & phenology; my avian systems of intrigue include disjunct & range-edge populations, irruptive species (esp. the cardueline finches), boreal communities, &—chronically understudied—female birds. I champion (& teach!) the use, maintenance, & growth of collections to supplement studies on wild birds. Thanks to fieldwork I belong to many landscape contexts: as such my ecologist ethic centers applicable, accessibile research for managers & the general public alike. Equitable conservation demands multi-disciplinary, diverse perspectives—especially in the Anthropocene.

PREVIOUSLY I researched Least Tern thermal biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (Audubon NC, Wilson Ornithological Society). I’ve banded over 150 bird species across the USA, building project design & reporting competencies in the process. Museum-wise, I’ve prepped—& taught others to prep—sparrows, hummers, & hawks (oh my!), to name a few. Because words matter, I’ve poured many joyful years into environmental ed., as well as other interpretive roles within & beyond ecology.