Social Structure and Communication in Mixed-Species Groups
I combine naturalist behavioral observation, acoustic analysis, agent based modeling, and experimental manipulation to investigate:
(1) how individual's social environments effect communication, information encoding, and future social decisions
(2) how sociality changes over seasons, and how these changes influence communicative complexity
(3) how relatedness influences social and communicative complexity.
I mostly use mixed species flocks of chickadees and titmice to study these phenomena, but I'm always interested in expanding the systems I work with!
Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at Michigan State University, investigating the evolution and function of socially learned identity signals in collaboration with the Smith-Vidaurre (BIRDS) lab.
Previously, I was a postdoctoral teacher and researcher at Villanova University, collaborating with the Curry lab on several projects centering on communication and social behavior of hybridizing chickadees. Check out my previous work here!
I combine naturalist behavioral observation, acoustic analysis, agent based modeling, and experimental manipulation to investigate:
(1) how individual's social environments effect communication, information encoding, and future social decisions
(2) how sociality changes over seasons, and how these changes influence communicative complexity
(3) how relatedness influences social and communicative complexity.
I mostly use mixed species flocks of chickadees and titmice to study these phenomena, but I'm always interested in expanding the systems I work with!
Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at Michigan State University, investigating the evolution and function of socially learned identity signals in collaboration with the Smith-Vidaurre (BIRDS) lab.
Previously, I was a postdoctoral teacher and researcher at Villanova University, collaborating with the Curry lab on several projects centering on communication and social behavior of hybridizing chickadees. Check out my previous work here!
Recent News
August 2025- I presented our work "Detecting complex information in synthetic vocalizations with traditional bioacoustics tools" at the Frontiers in Computational Science and Engineering: Celebrating a Decade of CMSE Excellence and The 5th Data Science Student Conference (DISC 2025) at MSU. I won 1st place in the Outstanding Poster competition for this presentation!
July 2025 - ABS 2025 Baltimore! I had a great time at this year's Animal Behavior Conference in Baltimore, MD., meeting new friends, catching up with old ones, seeing all the cool new science happening, and of course, presenting our work "Detecting complex information in synthetic vocalizations with traditional bioacoustics tools".
May 2025 - I presented our work "Detecting complex information in synthetic vocalizations with traditional bioacoustics tools" at the MSU EEB symposium on May 6th.
August 2024 - Joined the Smith-Vidaurre (BIRDS) lab at Michigan State University!
July 2025 - ABS 2025 Baltimore! I had a great time at this year's Animal Behavior Conference in Baltimore, MD., meeting new friends, catching up with old ones, seeing all the cool new science happening, and of course, presenting our work "Detecting complex information in synthetic vocalizations with traditional bioacoustics tools".
May 2025 - I presented our work "Detecting complex information in synthetic vocalizations with traditional bioacoustics tools" at the MSU EEB symposium on May 6th.
August 2024 - Joined the Smith-Vidaurre (BIRDS) lab at Michigan State University!
