Current Students

Learn More: James' profile and response to predation risk.

Within ecology and evolution, I am particularly interested in biogeography, life history strategies, thermal ecology, animal architecture, and tropical ecology. My dissertation research explores these topics in birds at two disparate field sites along an elevational gradient on Mt. Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo. I am using an experimental manipulation to test if harsh weather may cause slow life history strategies of birds at high elevations (3,200 meters/10,500 feet elevation). Additionally, in collaboration with the Blair Wolf lab at UNM, I use observational and experimental approaches to investigate the energetic costs of different weather conditions (temperature and rainfall) of nestling birds using the doubly-labeled water technique. Lastly, I am exploring avian nest structure varieties to quantify parental effort in nest building and whether or not this reflects a species’ placement along the slow-fast life history continuum. My work has important ramifications for both basic (theoretical ecology) and applied (predicting species’ responses to changing weather patterns) sciences.

Learn More: Adam's profile and life history strategies.

I am French-American. I grew-up in Anjou, France, but spent many summers in Montana, and developed an affinity for wildlife and bird-watching at a young age. I transferred to the University of Montana in 2004 and graduated with a BS in Wildlife Biology. Between 2007 and 2014 I worked on dozens of field projects banding birds and monitoring bird nests. I am working fulltime for MPG Ranch since 2014, as a bird biologist, and direct banding operations. I joined MTCWRU’s TEM lab in the Fall 2015, as an MS Candidate in Wildlife Biology. My MS project consists in understanding the relationship between habitat selection and the reproductive success of Lewis’s Woodpeckers (Melanerpes lewis), in western MT. My main interests consist in conservation biology and many topics in avian science, such as migration, life histories of cavity nesters, and avian community responses to fast-changing landscapes. During my free time I also enjoy playing basketball, ultimate frisbee, and all outdoor activities.

Learn More: William's profile.