Education

Currently pursuing PhD in Flight Lab at UM, advised by Bret Tobalske 

BS in Ecology and Field Biology, 2015, George Fox University 

Courses Taught

Principles of Living Systems (BIOB 161)

Priciples of Biological Diversity (BIOB 171) 

Teaching Experience

Post- Baccalaureate Mentor, University of Montana, Missoula, MT (2022-current)

Mentoring 1 student who is majoring in biology with a minor in animation. With their project, they aim to animate organisms in a biologically-relevant way. My role is assisting in digitization of videos and project design.

Reference writer for 1 undergraduate student pursuing study abroad.

Post- Baccalaureate Mentor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2021-2023)

Mentor and reference writer for one student applying to six graduate schools and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Undergraduate Mentor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA   (2020-2021)                     

Overseeing two students investigating multi-spectral feather reflectance and 3D bill reconstructions.

Projects

Presentations:

Office of Naval Resarch Science of Autonomy Conference 2023, Virtual, Oral Presentation 

Tobalske, B., Elting, R. 

Hummingbird Agility And Aerial Combat: Aggressive Interactions In Territorial defense​

International Ornithological Conference 2022, Virtual, Oral Presentation,

Elting, R. Powers, D., Shankar, A., McWhorter, T., Rico-Guevara, A.

How low can they go? Compensatory feeding and floral community interplay in hummingbirds

North American Ornithological Conference 2016, Washington, DC., Oral Presentation,

Elting, R., Powers, D., McWhorter, T. Can hummingbirds increase compensatory nectar consumption during extreme energetic demand?

Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology 2015, Portland, OR., Poster,

Elting, R. and Powers, D. How much can hummingbirds increase nectar consumption during extreme energetic demand?

Murdock Charitable Trust Undergraduate Conference 2014, Vancouver, WA., Poster,

Elting, R., and Powers, D. How much can hummingbirds increase nectar consumption during extreme energetic demand?

Publications

Rico-Guevara, A., Hurme, K., Elting, R., and Russell, A. 2021. Bene‘fit’ assessment in pollination coevolution: mechanistic perspectives on hummingbird bill-flower matching. Integrative and comparative biology. DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab111

Professional Experience

Lab Manager / Research Scientist Engineer I (2021-2022)

Behavioral Ecophysics Lab (Supervisor: Dr. Alejandro Rico-Guevara)

University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Research Technician II    (2020)                                                                               

Behavioral Ecophysics Lab (Supervisor: Dr. Alejandro Rico-Guevara)

University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Research Assistant   (2015)                                                                                 

Investigation of sex-differences associated with obesity-driven hypertension using the leptin hormone. 

Supervisor: Virginia Brooks

Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR

Undergraduate Research Assistant (2014-2015)

Investigation of upregulation of compensatory feeding in hummingbird taxa to obtain a measurement of maximum feeding rate                

Supervisor: Dr. Donald Powers

George Fox University, Newberg, OR

International Experience

Field Assistant   (2016)                                                                           

Investigation of energetics and ecology of free-living hummingbirds of South America

Supervisor: Dr. Anusha Shankar

Stony Brook University, NY (work conducted in Pichincha Province, Ecuador)