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.
Dr. Madeleine Lohman (they/them) - Postdoctoral Researcher
Madeleine is a population and quantitative ecologist interested in the intersections between environments, life histories, and population dynamics. They received their PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno where they researched spatiotemporal variation in waterfowl population dynamics. Simultaneously, they worked on their MS in Statistics and Data Science examining the use of spatial stratification algorithms across different levels of landscape variability. At UW, Madeleine will use the LIMBO dataset to study topics like interspecific population synchrony and the influence of scale on research conclusions. In their spare time, Madeleine enjoys running, birding, knitting, and reading.
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 (he/him) - Ph.D. student
Garrett has a love for ecosystems, wildlife, and getting muddy in the field. His research experience spans the fields of behavior, conservation, and ecosystem ecology. Previous experience includes working with the USDA Forest Service at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and fieldwork in Costa Rica on the charismatic (and loud) Three-wattled Bellbird. Garrett is excited to contribute to the Hawaii VINE project, exploring the interactions between invasive birds, native plants, and the novel ecosystem found there. Outside of research, he enjoys chasing fresh snow on his snowboarding, trail running, and meeting new people.