Current Undergraduates & Scholars
Below are undergraduate students, scholars, and employees that work in the lab and contribute to its projects.
Cole Serrapica, Undergraduate Assistant (he/him)
Cole is a First-Year Undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Animal Biosciences on the Pre-Vet track. He is interested in veterinary cardiology, ornithology, wildlife rehabilitation, and Agriculture/Livestock efficiency. Cole's passion for wildlife rehab work started with his eagle scout project where he designed & constructed recovery tunnels specifically for the rehabilitation of Red Foxes. Cole discovered from his project how much he enjoys working with wildlife and seeing his problem-solving skills come to life. His formal research experience is just starting with Dr. Hernandez and he looks forward to learning another slice of life and being a part of the team.
Valor Lekas, Undergraduate Assistant (they/them)
Valor is an undergraduate Ecology (BS) and Environmental Economics and Management (BSES) double major who has an immense passion for birds. Since they came to UGA, they have been working on a variety of avian-related projects that include studying the relationship between beak morphology and ectoparasite richness, tracking and mapping bird-window collisions on the UGA campus to prevent future deaths, and now working with Dr. Hernandez modeling community composition at bird feeders in Athens. They love learning about ecological restoration, nature-based solutions, and migratory ecology.
Liam Amman, Undergraduate Assistant (he/him)
I am a fourth-year undergraduate working for a bachelor’s degree in wildlife science with a minor in fisheries. I am interested in bird health and conservation. I am currently doing research on the prevalence of Trichomonas in backyard bird feeders for my senior thesis project. During an internship last summer, I worked with Kim Perez on her project dealing with salmonella in backyard feeders. Growing up, I have always loved the outdoors, but only recently found a passion for birds.