The AFO’s Council consist of both avocational and professional ornithologists, in recognition of the contributions that both make to ornithology. If you are interested in assisting with the governance of AFO, or if you would like to nominate a candidate for the AFO council, email the nominations committee.
Officers
Rebecka Brasso
Department of Zoology
Weber State University
Tracy Hall Science Center Rm 309
T1415 Edvalson St., Dept. 2505
Ogden, UT 84408-2505
Dr. Brasso is an Associate Professor of urban ecology in the Zoology Department at Weber State University. Her research primarily involves using songbirds as biomonitors of heavy metal contamination across terrestrial, aquatic, and marine food webs. She is particularly interested in the variation in local environmental conditions and food web interactions that drive the risk of exposure to harmful concentrations of metals. Her master’s research used Tree Swallows as biomonitors of mercury (Hg) availability along the contaminated South River, VA, while her PhD research used Pygoscelis penguins as biomonitors of Hg in the Antarctic marine food web. During her time as an assistant professor at Southeast Missouri State University she completed a multi-year project investigating the effects of legacy lead (Pb) contamination on breeding songbirds in the Southeast Missouri Mining District. Now in Ogden, Utah, Dr. Brasso continues to use songbirds, and more recently spiders, to track local and regional-scale variation in Hg exposure in wetland ecosystems.
B.S. (Marine Biology) University of North Carolina Wilmington
M.S. (Biology) The College of William and Mary
Ph.D. (Marine Biology) University of North Carolina Wilmington
Jennifer Smith
C.C. Winn Endowed Chair for Quail Research
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Kingsville, Texas 78363
Jen is a wildlife ecologist whose research aims to evaluate the effects of global change on the spatial ecology, demography, and behavior of birds and, on occasion, other taxa. Her research often takes a mechanistic approach by incorporating field observations, experiments, and statistical and geospatial analyses. Much of her work addresses the effects of land-use and management decisions in rural landscapes, but has recently expanded to consider urbanization. She is also interested in the human dimensions of wildlife which influence, and are influenced by wildlife management and conservation behaviors. Overall, Jen aims is to conduct research that informs policy and promotes sustainable land uses that consider the conservation of wildlife and human well-being.
B.S. (Zoology) Cardiff University, Whales
Ph.D. (Biology) University of Birmingham, UK
David Aborn
Professor
Biology, Geology and Environmental Science
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Dr. David Aborn is a Professor in the Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). His primary research projects involve examining the suitability of urban greenspaces as stopover sites for migrating songbirds, monitoring Tree Swallow populations breeding in southeast Tennessee, and studying the wintering biology of Sandhill Cranes in southeast Tennessee. His graduate students have conducted research on such topics as the effect of kudzu on bird diversity, nest predation at an urban Audubon sanctuary, the relationship between pedestrian activity and migrant body condition, population genetics of Northern Saw-whet Owls, and waterfowl foraging in agricultural vs. natural wetlands. He teaches a variety of lower-level, upper-level, and graduate-level classes in biology and environmental science, has served as coordinator of the Master’s Program in Environmental Science at UTC, and was Local Committee Chair for the 2008 Society of Conservation Biology meeting and the 2017 North American Crane Workshop.
B.S. (Zoology) Clemson University
M.S. (Zoology) Clemson University
Ph.D (Biology) University of Southern Mississippi
L. Scott Johnson
Professor Emeritus
Towson University
35 Yellow Sky Way
Sedona, AZ 86336
Scott has recently retired from a full-time position at Towson University where he taught ornithology and animal behavior. He is a past president of the AFO and currently also serves as one of AFO’s investment trustees. He continues to conduct research on passerine reproductive biology and behavior. He is also active in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of the World project.
B.S. (Biology) St. Olaf College, Northfield MN
M.S. (Zoology) Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
Ph.D. (Ecology) University of Calgary, Alberta
Sarah Sargent
Erie Bird Observatory
301 Peninsula Drive, Suite 14
Erie, PA 16505
Sarah Sargent spent over 10 years with Audubon Pennsylvania (a state office of National Audubon Society) developing and implementing bird conservation programs primarily in northwestern Pennsylvania. She runs a banding station at Presque Isle State Park, on the southern shore of Lake Erie, and has partnered with the park and others to help return the extirpated Great Lakes Piping Plover to this site. Her work included overseeing and revising the Important Bird Area program in Pennsylvania and developing materials for forest landowners on the habitat needs of forest breeding birds. She has previously conducted research on frugivory and seed dispersal by birds in South Carolina and Costa Rica.
B.S. (Biology) Swathmore College
M.S. (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Cornell University
Ph.D. (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Cornell University
Matthew B. Shumar
Program Coordinator, Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative
Co-Director, Ohio Bird Atlas 3
The Ohio State University
School of Environment and Natural Resources
Columbus, OH 43210
Matthew is based in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University where he is Program Coordinator for the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative (OBCI) and Co-Director of the Ohio Bird Atlas 3. Matthew’s research interests include landscape ecology, and in particular anthropogenic effects on Neotropical migrants. He is also interested in engaging the public into community science efforts and exploring new opportunities for collaborative efforts between academia, agency professionals, and avocational ecologists.
B.S. (Wildlife & Fisheries Science / Forest Science) – Pennsylvania State University
M.S. (Wildlife & Fisheries Resources) – West Virginia University
Dan Ardia
Professor of Biology, Department Chair of Biology
Franklin & Marshall College
Department of Biology
PO Box 3003
Lancaster, PA 17604
Dr. Ardia’s research is focused on evolution of life histories in birds, particularly at the interface of physiology and behavior. He is especially interested in the how environmental conditions drive life history tradeoffs. A recently funded NSF award will allow investigation of how tree swallows cope with stress and environmental harshness across North America. In addition, he is studying how house sparrows adjust physiologically to novel environments using multiple invasions in Senegal and Kenya. He also has long-standing interest in the causes and consequences of variation in egg temperature and incubation behavior.
Ardia’s teaching includes Evolution, Conservation Biology, Behavioral Ecology, and Tropical Field Biology. Deeply committed to a liberal arts education, Ardia incorporates multiple undergraduates in his research and helps guide students to graduate programs in organismal biology. He serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Animal Ecology and the Journal of Field Ornithology. Service in his local community includes serving on the board of the North Museum of Nature and Science, Millport Conservancy, and the PA Master Naturalist.
B.S. (Biology/Environmental Studies/Political Science) Tufts University
M.S. (Environmental and Forest Biology) SUNY-College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Ph.D. (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Cornell University
Rafael Rueda-Hernández
Assistant to the Science Communication, Outreach and DEI Program Manager
Klamath Bird Observatory
Dr. Rueda Hernández recently worked as Outreach Manager at Klamath Bird Observatory and Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Tropical Research at UCLA. He received his PhD in Biological Sciences, cum laude from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He has diverse research interests, spanning the evolutionary aspects of molt to the migratory connectivity of Nearctic-Neotropical migratory species.
B.S. (Conservation Biology) Universidad Veracruzana
M.S. (Conservation Biology) Universidad Veracruzana
Ph.D. (Biological Sciences) cum laude, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Phil Stouffer
Professor Emeritus
Louisiana State University
’m happy to be part of JFO. I’ve been lucky to have a career that has spanned a broad swath of research questions and systems, including starlings in parking lots and on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, sparrows in longleaf pines and salt marshes, trans-Gulf migration, Namibian waterholes, and plenty of time in Amazonian rainforest. The best part of my job has always been to be in the field with the birds. I look forward to working with authors, reviewers, and editors to continue JFO’s tradition as an important outlet for field-based ornithology. Website: https://pstoufferbirds.wordpress.com/
B.S. (Biology), Bucknell University
Ph.D. (Ecology) Rutgers University
Council
Class of 2027
Igor Berkunsky
Investigador/Research Scientist
ECOSISTEMAS, UNCPBA-CONICET
Instituto Multidisciplinario sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable
Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires
Paraje Arroyo Seco s/n, Tandil (7000), Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Igor is a research scientist at CONICET and a professor at Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires and Universidad Nacional de La Plata. His research centers on developing conservation tools for threatened bird (and other) species in Southern South America. He is interested in increasing the reproductive output of grassland birds. His questions explore the interface between habitat use, predation ecology, nesting behavior, and breeding biology. He is studying threatened grassland birds, including the Pampas Meadowlark and the Hudson’s Canastero.
B.S. (Biological Sciences, Ecology) – Universidad Nacional de La Plata
Ph.D. (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) – Universidad Nacional de La Plata
David Cerasale
Pacific Northwest Area Lead | Senior Vice President
WestLand Engineering & Environmental Services, Inc.
WestLand Resources, Inc.
Portland, OR 97219
David holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Biology from The University of Montana and a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University, and has 20 years of experience in the research and management of wild animal populations. David’s research centered on understanding the physiological mechanisms underlying the extreme endurance flights that avian migrants undertake and creating physiological tools to guide management decisions. Following his research career, David focused on providing technical and regulatory expertise to a variety of clients whose project require environmental review by federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. As an owner of an environmental and engineering consulting company, David has for over a decade helped project proponents across multiple markets, including federal and state agencies, non-profit environmental groups, solar power development, and the extractive industry, permit projects and comply with federal, state, and local environmental regulations. David is currently a Senior Vice President and Area Lead for the Northwest for WestLand Resources, Inc.
M.S. (Wildlife Biology) The University of Montana
Ph.D. (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Cornell University
Lucas W. DeGrootee, PhD
Avian Conservation Scientist
Powdermill Nature Reserve
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Rector, PA 15658
Powdermill Nature Reserve – Avian Research Center
Luke is the Avian Conservation Scientist at Powdermill Nature Reserve, the environmental research center of Carnegie Museum of Natural History and home of Powdermill’s long-term bird banding operation. His research focuses on integrating stopover ecology, migratory connectivity, long-term banding data, and anthropogenic threats to understand why bird populations decline and how conservation can more effectively reduce risk. Much of his recent work examines the habitat, microhabitat, and dietary requirements of migrating landbirds, as well as practical strategies for reducing bird-window collisions through bird-safe glass design. Luke also helps lead regional and continental tracking efforts using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System and coordinates research collaborations across academic, agency, nonprofit, and community-science partners. He is a North American Banding Council certified trainer and has served AFO and NABC in several roles supporting bird banding, training, and field ornithology.
B.S. Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison
M.S. Natural Resources, The Ohio State University
Ph.D. Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Jessica Hightower
University of Maine
Jessica is a current post-doctoral associate at the University of Maine where she is modeling spatially explicit population viability of Golden-winged Warblers across their current and predicted breeding range. Prior to working at the University of Maine, Jessica completed her dissertation at the University of Florida where her research focused on understanding how human land use impacts bird communities in Borneo. Jessica is broadly interested in using theory and empirical research to understand how humans impact their natural environment and using that knowledge to expand and improve conservation practices. As a life-long fan of birds, her research trends towards a focus on avian ecology and conservation, both in tropical and temperate regions.
B.S. (Environmental Science and Geography) University of Central Arkansas
M.S. (Biology) University of Central Florida
Ph.D. (Interdisciplinary Ecology) University of Florida
Cecilia Kopuchian
Researcher, Center of Applied Ecology (CECOAL)
Argentinean National Research Council (CONICET)
Ruta Provincial 5, km 2.5
Corrientes (3400)
Corrientes, Argentina
Cecilia is a research fellow at the Argentinean National Research Council (CONICET), working at the Center of Applied Ecology (CECOAL) in Corrientes (North-East Argentina). Her research interests include understanding the processes that shape population and species divergence in Neotropical birds, both to answer basic questions in evolutionary biology and to design effective conservation and management strategies. Her current research focuses on the role of the Paraná-Paraguay Rivers system as a geographic barrier for birds, and in conservation genetics of endangered species of grassland Neotropical birds.
B.S. (Biological Sciences) Universidad de Buenos Aires
Ph.D. (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Universidad de Buenos Aires
Class of 2028
Joey Hubbard
Department of Agricultural & Biological Sciences
Truman State University
100 E Normal Ave
Kirksville, MO 63501
Dr. Joey Hubbard is an Associate Professor of Biology at Truman State University in Northeast, MO. Much of her research has focused on plumage color variation aimed at understanding the selective pressures that influence color traits and how those pressures vary across populations. In her current position, Dr. Hubbard continues to study songbirds with the goal of providing authentic research experiences in avian ecology and animal behavior for undergraduate students. Current projects include monitoring window strike mortality on Truman’s campus, understanding host-parasite dynamics in eastern bluebirds (in collaboration with Dr. Sarah Knutie), and evaluating factors that affect avian communities and behaviors at campus feeder stations. Dr. Hubbard teaches Evolutionary Biology, Biometry, Comparative Anatomy, Environmental Science, Ornithology, and Animal Behavior.
B.S. (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) University of Arizona
M.S. (Biology) The College of William & Mary
Ph.D. (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) University of Colorado Boulder
Evan Jackson
Raptor specialist
Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and
Adjunct faculty
Division of Natural Sciences
University of Maine at Farmington
Evan works with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, primarily with raptors. He is also adjunct faculty at the University of Maine at Farmington, where he teaches a variety of biology and ecology courses, including Avian Ecology, Introduction to Ecology, and Climate Change in New England.
Currently his research involves assessing the status of state endangered Golden Eagles in Maine and ongoing monitoring and assessment of Peregrine Falcons in the state. He also has been involved with the second Breeding Bird Atlas of Maine. Past research has included the effects of habitat fragmentation on several species of Central American hummingbirds and community response to climate change under differing forest management.
B.S. (Biology: Ecology, Evolution and Behavior) – University of New Hampshire
M.S. (Forest Ecosystems and Society) – Oregon State University
Maureen McClung
Associate Professor of Biology, Chair of Environmental Studies
Department of Biology & Health Sciences
Hendrix College
1600 Washington Avenue
Conway, AR 72032
Maureen McClung is an Associate Professor of Biology at Hendrix College where she teaches courses in ecology, animal behavior, and conservation. Her research focuses on how wildlife communities respond to human disturbance, including land development, noise pollution, and ecological restoration. Supporting undergraduates as they explore field biology is at the center of her research and collaborations with partners such as National Audubon Society, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. She has been running a MAPS banding station since summer 2020 and works to expand banding opportunities for students and conservation professionals in central Arkansas where these opportunities are uncommon.
B.A. (Biology) Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas
Pg.Dip.Sci. (Ecology) University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
M.S. (Biology) University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Ph.D. (Biology) University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Maureen McClung
Associate Professor of Biology
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Karina Sanchez is an Assistant Professor of Biology at California State University, Dominguez Hills in Los Angeles County, CA. Her research explores behavioral ecology in urban environments. She is particularly interested in how avian species navigate city life – from acoustic communication and nesting behaviors to the ways these factors shape reproductive success. Karina is excited to join the AFO Council and looks forward to contributing to the ornithological community!
B.S. Westminster College, Salt lake city, UT
Ph.D. University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO
Judit Ungvári
Research and Innovation Officer
Institute for a Sustainable Earth
George Mason University
4400 University Drive, MSN 6D5
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Dr. Ungvári is the co-lead of the Future Earth Research and Innovation portfolio and the Research and Innovation Officer at George Mason University’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth. She spent 2 years at the National Science Foundation where she was a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow. She was working in the Geosciences directorate on various international and integrative activities facilitating transdisciplinary global change research. Judit is an ecologist by training, with expertise in avian biology in tropical habitats. She studied birds in the Peruvian Amazon region combining both laboratory- and field-based research and received her Ph.D. in Zoology with a certificate and concentration in Tropical Conservation and Development at the University of Florida. Her work on Amazonian forest bird communities related to the ecological mechanisms of habitat specialization, movement and dispersal between patchy habitats, combining metapopulation theory, landscape ecology, and population genetics. She also worked as a postdoctoral scholar at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, addressing avian conservation in coffee agroecosystems in Colombia. Judit is involved in local capacity building and community outreach both in the USA and Latin America and has mentored dozens of students to complete independent research projects in Peru, Colombia and Florida. Her interests include increasing diversity and broadening participation in the sciences, sustainability, science diplomacy, supporting open and reproducible research efforts, and communicating science to the public.
B.S. The Ohio State University
Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Class of 2029
Mark Deutschlander
Professor
Biology
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Dr. Mark Deutschlander is Professor of Biology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in the Finger Lakes region of New York, where he teaches courses in physiology, behavior, environmental studies, and ornithology. He has also led semester abroad programs to Queensland, AUS, where he taught urban ecology.
Mark’s research focuses on migration, particular energetics, orientation, and navigation. He has published numerous papers on magnetic sensing and orientation, and he has worked on a variety of passerine species (Catharus thrushes, parulids, and sparrows) as well as non-avian species, such as the Eastern Red-spotted Newt, salmonids, and Siberian Hamsters. More recently, Mark has expanded his research program into the area of energetics and migration.
Mark is a certified trainer for the North American Banding Council, and he is currently the President of the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory, where he conducts some of his research. Mark is an Associate Editor for the Wilson Journal of Ornithology, a past Past-President (2017-2019) of the Wilson Ornithological Society, and a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society.
Ph.D. (Zoology, Neuroscience minor, and Animal Behavior certificate) Indiana University
B.S. (Biology) SUNY Geneseo
Maria Andreina Pacheco
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM)
Temple University
Maria is an Assistant Professor (Research) in the Department of Biology/Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM) at Temple University. Her academic and professional interests are avian ecophysiology and evolutionary biology and her research has focused on understanding the evolution of haemosporidian parasites and their hosts, especially in birds. She applies phylogenetic and molecular clock methods to understand host switches and the radiation of avian haemosporidian parasite groups. Maria is also interested in phylogenetics and the rate and mode of evolution of the mitochondrial genome in birds and their haemosporidian parasites.
Jo Peacock
Assistant Professor
Restoration and Sustainable Land Management
School of Environment and Natural Resources
The Ohio State University
Jo Peacock is an Assistant Professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University. She is currently developing a research program focused on investigating how we can better restore and manage forested, woody and savanna habitats within working and degraded landscapes to enhance biodiversity (primarily avian communities) and inform conservation and sustainable land-use that benefits wildlife. Her prior PhD research focused on understanding how ecological (flooding) and agricultural (intentional fire and grazing) disturbance influences habitats and avian communities across a savanna-grassland gradient in the Beni Savanna region of Northern Bolivia. Before that, Jo worked for several years as a Landscape Restoration Officer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Scotland. In this role, she managed a multi-partner landscape-scale conservation initiative that linked the restoration of native ecosystems and avian communities with integrated land management in working and protected landscapes. During her undergraduate Zoology degree, which she completed at Glasgow University in 2011, Jo ran multiple scientific expeditions to the Neotropics and has worked on setting up a diverse range of biodiversity and population monitoring projects in Bolivia and Ecuador in partnership with local NGOs and scientists. These have included studies considering the population size and habitat use of declining Neotropical savanna passerines and the development of protocols for long-term monitoring of the critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw.
B.S. (Zoology) University of Glasgow
Ph.D. (Environmental Science) The Ohio State University
Carla Suertegaray Fontana
Carla is currently a researcher in South Brazil. She and her students/collaborators have been answering questions regarding Neotropical birds, their life histories, and ecological and conservation issues.
B.S. (Biological Sciences) PUCRS University
Ph.D. (Zoology) PUCRS University
JFO Editorial Team
Editors-in-Chief
Rafael Rueda-Hernández, Phil Stouffer.
Subject Editors
Daniel R. Ardia, Juan I. Areta, Lauryn Benedict, Carla S. Fontana, Michale Glennon, Leonel Herrera-Alsina, Jeffrey P. Hoover, Terri J. Maness, Lisandrina Mari, Rebecca L. McGuire, Ann E. McKellar, Angela Schmitz Ornés, Maria A. Pacheco, Caroline Poli, Matthew Reudink, Scott A. Rush, Rachael C. Shaw, Jennifer Smith, Michal Šulc, Ben J. Vernasco.
Spanish Translators
Juan Pablo Gomez, Gustavo Londoño, Raul A. Pérez-Rivera.
Editorial Assistance Program Coordinators
Daniel M. Brooks
Book Review Editor
Evan Jackson
Recent Past Presidents
Matthew B. Shumar (2024-2026), Julie Jedlicka (2022-2024), Valentina Ferretti (2020-2022), Dan Ardia (2018-2020), Paul Rodewald (2016-2018), Reed Bowman (2014-2016), Kathryn Purcell (2012-2014), L. Scott Johnson (2010-2012), David N. Bonter (2008-2010), Cecilia Riley (2006-2008), Eugene Morton (2004-2006), Scott Sutcliffe (2002-2004), Jerry Jackson (2000-2002). For a more complete list of AFO’s past presidents, click HERE.
AFO Representatives for Other Organizations
Ornithological Council – David Aborn and Maureen McClung
North American Banding Council – Ian Ausprey and Luke DeGroote
Biodiversity Research Institute (mist-net sales) – Patrick Keenan