Maureen Murray, Postdoctoral Researcher
Maureen Murray is a postdoctoral research associate on the white ibis project. She is interested in how wildlife adjust to urban environments and the consequences of these shifts for their health and interactions with people. Maureen will be using GPS data to understand the relationships between ibis habitat use, diet, and health.
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Maureen is now the Wildlife Disease Ecologist at the Lincoln Park Zoo, where she uses field and lab work to investigate how living in cities affects wildlife health and stress.
Catie Welch, Graduate Student
Catie Welch has been working on the ibis project since the beginning. While working on her Bachelor of Science at Florida Atlantic University, she volunteered her time to collecting fecal and water samples, as well as assisting with trapping birds and data collection. When it came time for grad school, the ibis project was a natural fit for her. Her research focuses on flock movement and site fidelity to urban areas. She wants to understand how much time these birds are actually spending in urban sites and where these birds breed. Once these questions have been answered, we can understand more about how life in the urban setting is affecting their behavior and health.
Catie is now a research technician with a joint position between UGA and the United States Department of Agriculture's Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens. She is primarily working on the epidemiology of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) in Kenya but she is still involved with the White Ibis Project from the lab where she screens biological samples for NDV.
Henry Adams, Research Technician
Henry Adams graduated with his Bachelor’s of Science from the Odum School of Ecology at UGA in May of 2015. He has been a member of the Hernandez Lab since his sophomore year. Having grown up an avid animal lover and conservation enthusiast, he has had multiple experiences in recent years, along with his major coursework, that have cemented his interest in pursuing a career in ecology and conservation. He has worked as a photographer with the Georgia Dolphin Ecology Program, interned with the Atlanta Botanical Gardens’ Amphibian Conservation Program as a scientific illustrator, and has assisted with the Hernandez Urban White Ibis Project, for which he now works as a research technician. For the project, he assists in general logistics & scheduling, researching and acquiring necessary equipment, field work, etc. Henry also works as a commission based graphic artist, photographer and scientific illustrator. To preview his work, click here to visit his website. He is also a classically trained singer and thoroughly enjoys making music of all kinds.
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Henry is now a graduate student in the Hernandez Lab, pursuing a Master of Science degree.