2020
November
I gave a talk in the Ecology, Evolution, Behavior, & Organismal Biology (EEBOB) seminar series at Kennesaw State University. Thank you for the invitation and great discussion!
October
I gave a talk in the Long Term Animal Research seminar series organized by colleagues at Duke University. The session also featured a talk by my Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Dustin Rubenstein, and both talks were followed by a great discussion on the environmental drivers of social behavior in superb starlings and other cooperative societies.
August
My presentation at the North American Ornithological Congress' 2020 meeting received a Student Presentation Honorable Mention!
I attended the North American Ornithological Congress' online meeting, where I
- presented my research in a talk titled Alternative Reproductive Tactics in a Cooperatively Breeding Bird with Low Kin Structure
- Led the organization of the student-mentor meetup event along with a group of Student Affairs Committee members
- Co-organized a workshop titled Promoting Diversity and Inclusion: Minidiscussions
July
I gave a talk – titled Alternative Reproductive Tactics in a Cooperatively Breeding Bird with Low Kin Structure – at the American Behavior Society's online meeting. While the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on in-person conferences this year, it was a treat to be able to watch pre-recorded talks on my own time instead of running between conference rooms!
2019
October
I wrote a blog post summarizing the main takeaways from our workshop at the American Ornithological Society's 2019 meeting – Writing Successful Proposals for Small Grants – for the society's blog, Wing Beats.
July
I presented my poster – Alternative Male Reproductive Tactics in a Plural Cooperative Breeder – at the Animal Behavior Society's 2019 meeting at the University of Illinois (Chicago). It was a jam-packed four days with some really exciting research presentations as well as a bit of obligatory Chicago sight-seeing!
June
I presented my poster – Alternative Male Reproductive Tactics in a Plural Cooperative Breeder –at the American Ornithological Society's 2019 meeting in Anchorage, AK. Additionally, as a member of and subcommittee chair on the Student Affairs Committee, I:
- Led a workshop on Writing Successful Proposals for Small Grants
- Organized the Student-Mentor Lunch for 237 participants
- Volunteered at other student-led events such as the Quiz Bowl and Silent Auction
May
I received a travel grant for the Animal Behavior Society's 2019 meeting in Chicago, IL to present my work on alternative male reproductive tactics in superb starlings.
I received the following grants for my project on the ecological basis of dispersal decisions in superb starlings. Can't wait to get started on the lab work for ddRAD sequencing!
- Van Tyne Research Award from the American Ornithological Society
- Chapman Grant from the American Museum of Natural History
- Grant-in-Aid of Research from Sigma Xi Society
April
I finished the last field season for my Ph.D. work; collected the last blood sample for my project on the ecological basis of dispersal decisions in superb starlings on February 20th, TA-ed Biology of African Animals and Ecosystems for Princeton + Columbia in Kenya in March, and then travelled around for a couple of weeks in Kenya. I will miss the savanna and the people at Mpala Research Centre dearly!
March
I received a travel grant for the American Ornithological Society's 2019 meeting in Anchorage, AK to present my work on alternative male reproductive tactics in superb starlings.
February
Stefanie Siller (Columbia University) and I received Outreach Grants from the Animal Behavior Society and the Society for the Study of Evolution to write and illustrate a children's book on cooperative behavior in superb starlings for the Northern Kenya Conservation Clubs. The book will accompany an interactive game developed Stephanie Wheeler (University of Florida) and me.