Principal Investigator: Dr. Corey Tarwater
Avian Ecology & Behavior Lab
Dr. Corey E. Tarwater (she/her) - Principal Investigator
Robert B. Berry Distinguished Chair in Ecology, Associate Professor, Univ. Wyoming
Dr. Tarwater has been working in tropical forests for over 20 years now. Her research combines in-depth knowledge of animal behavior combined with creative and advanced statistical modeling to understand how populations and communities respond to large and fine-scale environmental change. Dr. Tarwater holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a M.S. from the same university in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. She earned her B.S. in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology from U.C. Davis. She is a native of Encinitas, CA and has two kids that she enjoys outdoor activities with and that come with her on her field adventures.
Madeleine Lohman (they/them) - Postdoctoral Researcher
Maddie is going to be working on our long-term data from Panama. More to come soon!
Mary De Aquino (she/her) - Ph.D. student
Mary is interested in the behavioral interactions and niche breadth of birds that follow army ant swarms. Mary is also interested in science communication and enjoys sharing her love of science and the natural world with others. She received her B.S. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and since then she’s been fortunate to work in diverse and beautiful landscapes from the plains of Montana to the cloud forests of Ecuador. In addition to most things bird-related, Mary enjoys backpacking, sports, art, and befriending dogs.
Reina Galvan (she/her) - Ph.D. student
Reina's love for birds and passion for bird conservation has led her to work with many different species, from raptors to songbirds, in the boreal forest of Alaska to mangrove forests in Jamaica. For her research, Reina hopes to fill in some knowledge gaps on the potential mechanisms that could be causing the bird declines in resident birds in Panama. She hopes to pair the long-term monitoring data with lidar data to start looking at habitat selection and space use. Reina enjoys traveling, being outside in any capacity, and spending time with her family.
Kelly Roberts (she/her) - Ph.D. student
Kelly is interested in social behavior, recruitment, and demography in light of human-induced-rapid-environmental change. She is hoping to ask questions in regards to sociality and demography of tropical bird species in Panama. Since she completed undergrad, Kelly has enjoyed working on long-term avian ecology projects from North of the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the Florida scrub. When not in the field, Kelly enjoys reading, dog-sitting, and hikes with friends.
Garrett Higgins - Ph.D. student
Garrett is starting his PhD on our work in Hawaii. More coming soon!