Principal Investigator

  Dr. Paige Warren

Ph.D., Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin.
Current: Professor, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

I take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding patterns of biodiversity in urban regions and their underlying ecological and social processes. My background is in behavioral and evolutionary ecology, with a long­time focus on birds.

email: pswarren@eco.umass.edu      office: 216 Holdsworth Hall

phone: (413) ­545-­0061

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Current Lab Members

Graduate Students

   Aaron Grade

M.S. University of Florida.
Current Ph.D. Candidate, Program in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

I am interested in how urbanization and land-use configuration across urban-rural gradients affect songbird ecology, nesting, and behavior. I investigate these systems by synthesizing theory and methods from conservation, behavioral, and landscape ecology, along with citizen science and outreach.

website: www.agradeeco.wordpress.com     twitter: @agradeeco

email: agrade@umass.edu

  Melanie Klein

B.S. Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Current Ph.D. Student, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

I’m interested in how ecological communities are altered in human-dominated landscapes. I study songbird (focusing on Wood Thrush) nesting ecology and predation in suburban and rural western Massachusetts.

email: mlklein@eco.umass.edu 

Sebastian “Seabass” Moreno

B.S. Biology, B.A. Spanish Wilkes University.
M.S. Natural Resources University of Missouri, Columbia.
Current Ph.D. Student, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

I am interested in the cross section between humans and wildlife in urban environments. I intend to study how supplemental feeding in winter impacts bird ecology and how citizen science methodology can be improved in order to decrease data variability. I am also interested in increasing citizen science participation from marginalized groups in western Massachusetts. My dissertation research will use ornithological and social science techniques as well as provide opportunities for undergraduates to learn and develop skills.

website: https://urbanbirdecologist.wordpress.com/      

twitter: @urbanbirdeco

instagram: @urbanbirdeco

email: sebastianmor@umass.edu

  Katherine (Kit) Straley

B.A. in Biology Ithaca College.
Current Ph.D. Candidate in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

I am interested in how animals adjust behaviorally to rapid changes in habitats, hypothesizing that individual behavior can be a driver in species persistence in urbanizing landscapes. I currently focus on the behavioral flexibility of nesting Wood Thrushes and Gray Catbirds as they cope with forest fragmentation and changes in resource availability in suburban western Massachusetts. My dissertation research utilizes field techniques from both ornithology and entomology; and lab­-based chemical analyses of consumer and resource tissues. I enjoy collaborating with undergraduates as they develop new skills, either in the field or the lab.

website: www.kstraleyeco.wordpress.com     twitter: @erlynerdgetbird

email: kstraley@cns.umass.edu

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Undergraduate Research Students

Morgan Bowler (class of 2021, UMass Honors Project from Commonwealth College)

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Alumni

Postdoctoral Associates

Michael Strohbach (2011-2012)

Completed Graduate Students

Aaron Grade (PhD, OEB, 2020) – www.agradeeco.wordpress.com

Evan Kuras (MS, ECO, 2018)

Kyle Baron (MS, ECO, 2017)

Rachel Danford (PhD, ECO, 2016) – https://www.discoveryacton.org/blog-author/rdanford

Susannah Lerman (PhD, OEB, 2011) – https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/people/sblerman

Noah Charney (PhD, OEB, 2011) – https://naturenoah.com/

Evan Dalton (MS, OEB, 2014) – https://www.manomet.org/our_people/evan-dalton/

Janice Zepko (MS professional, ECO, 2011)

Mark Bellis (co-advised, MS thesis, ECO, 2008)

Undergraduate Theses and Projects

Kristin Lamonde 2006 (UMass Honors Thesis from Commonwealth College)

Colin Lentz 2008 (Hampshire College)

Danielle Bushey 2010 (UMass Honors Thesis from Commonwealth College)

Autumn Amici 2011 (University of Vermont Honors Thesis, field work at UMass)

Kim Fitzgerald 2011 (UMass Honors Thesis from Commonwealth College)

Lauren Lynch 2013 (UMass Honors Thesis from Commonwealth College)

Andrea Grossman 2015 (UMass Honors Thesis from Commonwealth College)

Mark Kerstens 2016 (UMass Senior Thesis)

Kallin Lang 2017 (UMass Honors Thesis from Commonwealth College)

Morgan O’Connor 2017 (UMass Honors Project from Commonwealth College)

Margaret Upham 2017 (UMass Senior Project)

Jodie Berezin 2018 (UMass Senior Project)

Christina Seymour 2018 (UMass Honors Project from Commonwealth College)

Kaleigh Keohane 2019 (UMass Honors Project from Commonwealth College)

Anna Handte-Reinecker 2019 (UMass Honors Project from Commonwealth College)

Benjamin Dookram 2019 (UMass Senior Project)