Science Team - Staff
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies has a diverse team of talented ecologists and scientists that support our programs from monitoring to data science. Left to Right: Chris Latimer, Qing Zhao, Nick Haddad, Jacy Bernath-Plaisted, Kylie Lamoree, Matt Webb, TC Walker, Edward Landi, Matt Smith, Chris White, Matthew McLaren, Jessie Reese, Allison Shaw, Jen Timmer, Brandt Ryder and Arvind Panjabi.
Science Staff
Chief Conservation Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Brandt earned a Bachelors of Wildlife Biology from Unity College in (1999) and then went on to get a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in (2008). Brandt’s dissertation focused on the demography and social behavior of tropical lekking birds. Prior to joining Bird Conservancy, Brandt worked for a decade as a research scientist for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center focusing on the conservation and behavior of birds across their annual cycle. Brandt has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers on a diversity of topics including urban ecology, migration ecology, landscape ecology and behavioral ecology. Brandt enjoys the outdoors in his free time through hiking, running, and doing landscape and astrophotography.
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Research Director (Fort Collins, CO)
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Chris grew up in Virginia where he received his B.S. & M.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Science at Virginia Tech. Chris completed his doctorate in Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison and then spent 4 years as a Landscape Ecologist at TNC, Colorado. Chris has a strong interest in quantitative ecology and leveraging data to inform conservation delivery. In his spare time, Chris enjoys getting outdoors with his family hiking, camping, fly-fishing and skiing, and brewing beer.
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Director of Science Operations (Fort Collins, CO)
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Chris graduated from Arizona State University in 2002 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. While volunteering at an avian rehabilitation facility in Scottsdale, AZ, Chris was smitten with birds. He conducted field work for the next few years, moving to Fort Collins, Colorado along the way. Chris was initially hired to work for Bird Conservancy as a data entry technician in the fall of 2006. Since then, Chris has worked his way up through the ranks, serving as a biologist, then IMBCR Coordinator, and finally to his current position where he plays a key role in science operations for the organization.
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Senior Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Marion Clément joined Bird Conservancy in 2022 as the Mexican Spotted Owl Coordinator. She first moved to Colorado in 2020 to work for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on Threatened and Endangered Species, where she investigated population trends and threats to a petitioned bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis. She is particularly fond of doing research on owls; for her Master’s Degree, Marion studied differential resource selection of Barred Owls along a development gradient. On her own time, Marion started a Northern Saw-Whet Owl banding station near her home in Fort Collins, Colorado. After work, Marion enjoys all kinds of outdoor sports, including biking, skiing, and rafting. In addition, Marion has a penchant for salsa dancing and painting.
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Senior Avian Ecologist/Non-breeding Coordinator (Fort Collins, CO)
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Edward grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, halfway between the Appalachian Mountains and the Outer Banks. In early high school, he began taking an interest in birds while volunteering at a local banding station. Chasing birds from the mountains to the coast became a frequent endeavour for teenage Edward. Once he got his driver’s license, he never hit the brakes on his new found hobby. This led him to pursue a career in bird research and earn his B.S. in Wildlife Biology from NC State University . While completing his degree, he worked field jobs across the country, spent a semester abroad in Ecuador exploring the country’s diverse avifauna, and banding birds at sites across NC with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Later, Edward moved to Colorado to pursue his M.S. in Biology at CSU Pueblo. For his thesis, he studied the Spatial Ecology of Cassin’s Sparrows using a remote telemetry system and solar-powered tags.
Senior Avian Ecologist/IMBCR Coordinator (Fort Collins, CO)
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Originally from Colorado, Matthew graduated from the University of Colorado with Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology and Environmental Science. After graduation he moved to Alaska and spent 5 years exploring the state and working in fisheries management. While in Alaska Matthew became particularly interested in birds and upon moving back to Colorado spent several years researching Mountain Plover nest success and habitat use. He joined Bird Conservancy of the Rockies as a point count technician for the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program (IMBCR) in 2011 and became the IMBCR Coordinator in 2016. In his free time Matthew enjoys camping with his family, nature photography, gardening, and exploring the outdoors in any way possible.
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Senior Avian Ecologist/Conservation Delivery Lead (Fort Collins, CO)
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Originally from Michigan, Jennifer (Jen) graduated from Michigan State University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree and then worked on a variety of wildlife projects in several states to gain field experience and a better understanding of wildlife management and research. These projects led her to southern Iowa to track bobcats and to southwestern Colorado to track mountain lions. Jen returned to school to earn her Master’s in Wildlife Science at Texas Tech University where she estimated the population of Lesser Prairie-Chicken in Texas and created spatially explicit habitat models. She completed her PhD in Ecology at Colorado State University and incorporated sage-grouse and songbirds into range management models with input from a variety of stakeholders. Jen joined Bird Conservancy’s Science team in 2017. Her work focuses on engaging partners, developing tools and resources, and disseminating scientific information to IMBCR partners.
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Senior Avian Ecologist/Motus Coordinator (Fort Collins, CO)
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Matt was born and raised in Salida, CO. Around age 10, at odds with his preferences, his family moved to the ‘dull’ plains of Northern Colorado. To Matt’s surprise, he fell in love with the endless roll and incredible diversity of the shortgrass prairies. He later spent some time in Pittsburgh, PA, working at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the American Bird Conservancy, and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology and a Master’s in Conservation Leadership, both received from Colorado State University. When not building automated radio telemetry stations, Matt enjoys mothing, photographing beetles, riding and fixing bicycles, turning over stones, and dragging his family outside at night to watch the International Space Station go by.
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Conservation Social Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Justin is a conservation social scientist whose research primarily focuses on understanding barriers to and/or incentives for landowners implementing conservation measures on their properties. He first discovered his passion for studying socio-ecological relationships while completing a B.A. in Environmental Science at the University of Florida. During his Master’s program at the University of Georgia and his PhD program at NC State University, he studied various topics including environmental communication, recreation, ecotourism, and the human dimensions of wildlife. Prior to joining BCR, he was a postdoctoral associate at Virginia Tech studying the adaptation of coastal farm and forest landowners to saltwater intrusion. A core aim of his work is understanding how programs for landowners can support both conservation and human livelihoods, especially in the face of global change. In his free time, Justin enjoys songwriting, canoeing, and hiking with his partner Lauren and their dog Nutmeg.
Senior Research Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Before coming to the Bird Conservancy in 2000, Arvind worked on bird conservation projects from Alaska to Panama. He managed Bird Conservancy’s Black Hills bird monitoring project through 2005 and published several informative reports on the avifauna of this unique region. He works closely with Partners in Flight, manages the PIF Species Assessment Database, and was instrumental in applying the PIF assessment process to the Mexican avifauna, in conjunction with federal and NGO partners in Mexico. In 2005, he launched the Bird Conservancy’s International program to build a permanent bridge for bird conservation throughout the Americas. He is involved in several cooperative projects in Mexico in Chihuahuan grasslands, western Mexico and the Sierra Madre Oriental. Arvind has a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont (1993) and a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Biology from Louisiana State University (1999).
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Senior Research Scientist/Lead Biometrician (Fort Collins, CO)
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Originally from Colorado, David received a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University (1995) and a Master’s Degree in Zoology and Physiology from the University of Wyoming (2000). He earned a doctorate in Zoology from the University of Queensland, Australia (2008), where he studied landscape genetics and ecology of rainforest birds. David first worked for the Bird Conservancy as a field technician in 1995, and he rejoined the Bird Conservancy in April 2008 to work on the spatial ecology of playa wetlands in eastern Colorado and western Nebraska. His research interests include quantitative methods for the distribution and abundance of wildlife and landscape ecology of forest birds.
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Senior Spatial Ecologist/Spatial Analysis Coordinator (Fort Collins, CO)
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Rob found an appreciation for nature at a young age growing up in the forests of Africa and South America. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Botany from Miami University and a Geo-Spatial Science certificate from Colorado State University. After college, he hiked the Appalachian Trail and traveled to Costa Rica to work on conservation projects. His research focuses on developing hierarchical models to estimate species habitat relationships and predict distribution. Rob also has an interest in understanding bird migration routes and has analyzed Black Swift, Western Tanager and Swainson’s Thrush geolocator datasets. He’s currently working with Chestnut-collared Longspur geolocators. In addition, he leads the Eastern-Screech Owl community science program to estimate occupancy dynamics.
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Applied Conservation Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Jacy grew up in rural Michigan where he developed an early appreciation and respect for the natural world. Throughout his early career, Jacy worked on a diversity of ecological research projects spending time in the sagebrush of Wyoming, the backcountry of Sierra Nevada, the endangered Florida Scrub, and Long Point Bird Observatory on the shores of Lake Erie. In 2015, Jacy completed his master’s degree at the University of Manitoba where he studied the effects of energy development on grassland birds. After completing his doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024, Jacy came to Bird Conservancy as an Applied Conservation Scientist—a position that has given him the opportunity to blend his scientific background with his strong interest in the conservation of grasslands and the wildlife and ecosystem services that they support. Jacy likes to spend his free time outdoors and enjoys hiking, camping, birding, running, and cycling.
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Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Adrienne grew up on a farm in rural Missouri, earning her B.S. from the University of Missouri – Columbia and attending graduate school at Northwest Missouri State University. She led a two year study on a threatened rattlesnake species in Missouri before moving out west to the mountains. Adrienne spent several years traveling around the mountain west as a field biologist in Montana, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming on a variety of projects concerning threatened and endangered species from plants to nesting raptor species. Most recently, she has worked on the Bird Conservancy’s Mexican Spotted Owl Monitoring Project as a seasonal field crew leader in New Mexico and will continue to work on that project in a greater capacity as the Mexican Spotted Owl Biologist. Adrienne has volunteered with the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program since 2016, working to rehabilitate sick and injured birds of prey. Her favorite part is the opportunity to release a raptor back into the wild. In her spare time, Adrienne can usually be found outdoors hiking with her dog, Oso, rock climbing, rafting, snowboarding, or listening to live music. She also enjoys reading and baking on rainy days.
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Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Nick grew up in southeastern Michigan and completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science at Oakland University. After graduating, he moved to Colorado with a desire to join the wildlife conservation world. At Bird Conservancy, he will be installing Motus Wildlife Tracking stations throughout the Great Plains Region to aid in aerial wildlife tracking efforts. Nick loves hiking, playing hockey, and riding motorcycles.
Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Kylie grew up in rural eastern Nebraska and earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Wyoming. She has always had a deep passion and curiosity for the natural world and has experience ranging from multiple species surveys in Eastern Australia and the U.S., to leading conservation crews around Wyoming. She enjoys being outside, being too invested in sports, grossing out family and friends with odd biology facts, and most of all, winning bingo games.
Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Matt earned his Bachelor’s Degree in environmental science from the University of South Florida, and began work as a seasonal field technician with Audubon Florida while still in school. During that time he assisted with a variety of research and conservation projects focused mainly on colonial waterbirds and shorebirds, such as the reddish egret and American Oystercatcher. He spent the summer of 2011 as whitewater guide on the Arkansas River, and has been plotting to return to Colorado ever since. Prior to joining the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Matt was managing a bald eagle nest monitoring program for the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey. Matt is an avid outdoorsman and a licensed falconer.
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Avian Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
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TC earned a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology (2020) from Colorado State University where he focused on GIS and avian ecology. Well before he even started school, however, TC took his love for birds and the outdoors on the road as a field technician. Since 2014, he has spent summers conducting breeding bird surveys for Bird Conservancy and the rest of the year monitoring raptors and sage-grouse throughout the western United States. TC went on to lead the southwest IMBCR survey effort in 2021 and later joined the Science team full-time to provide GIS support within the IMBCR program. TC can often be found in the forest four-wheeling to the best spots for fishing, camping and birding.
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Bioinformatics Program Manager (Fort Collins, CO)
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Stephen comes to us with extensive experience as a data engineer. He has created numerous innovative programming solutions through his work with finance, construction and oil and gas. He has proven success in making fully integrated and automated solutions using the most up to date technologies platforms especially Python and SQL databases. In his free time Stephen is a skilled glass blower and loves doing all outdoor activities.
Ecologist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Allison is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Grinnell College and a Master’s Degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Iowa State University. She has worked on forest and wetland conservation projects across the United States and Central America for The Nature Conservancy, National Park Service, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Peace Corps Guatemala and others. Allison joined Bird Conservancy in the fall of 2014 to assist the International team with data and project management.
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Research Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Quresh earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife, Fisheries, & Conservation Biology from U.C. Davis, and his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology from U.C. Riverside. He collaborated with Point Blue’s Eastern Sierra Riparian Songbird Monitoring Program for his Ph.D. research. He worked as a post-doc with the Center for Conservation Biology for two years and with the Rocky Mountain Research Station for six years. He joined Bird Conservancy in 2018 as a biometrician with a focus on forest birds and working with forest management partners. He is relishing the opportunity to work with a large monitoring dataset (IMBCR) and Bird Conservancy’s science team to inform conservation and land management.
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Research Scientist (Athens, GA)
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Bryan grew up in Atlanta, and is a quantitative ecologist with an interest in bridging the gap between statistical modeling and practical applications such as conservation management. He received his PhD in 2014 from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, then worked as a postdoc in the Georgia Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit. Although his dissertation work involved bird surveys in river corridors and coastal wetlands, Bryan’s recent focus has been on building integrated population models for herps: gopher tortoises, loggerhead sea turtles. As his goal was always to return to bird work, his most recent project (Adaptive Management for Red Knots and horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay) has been a welcome change. And he is excited now to be coming back around to the kind of songbirds that led him toward ecology and conservation in the first place.
Research Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Jessie grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and earned a B.S. in Biology from James Madison University and an M.S. in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has studied birds and their habitats since 2011, including several seasons with The Institute for Bird Populations. During her M.S., she developed conservation partnerships in Latin America while studying migratory connectivity. After graduating in 2017, she worked to restore healthy forests for priority bird species with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Prior to joining Bird Conservancy, she worked with the Human Dimensions Branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Fort Collins, where she has enjoyed exploring Colorado’s mountains and plains through birding, backpacking, and climbing.
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Research Scientist (Fort Collins, CO)
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Qing is a quantitative ecologist with strong interests in modeling wildlife populations, communities, and movement under regional to global environmental alterations to inform conservation decision-making. Qing received a BS in Ecology and Environmental Biology and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Peking University in 2000 and 2009, respectively, and a MS in Statistics from the University of Toledo in 2010. Qing’s current work focuses on developing population models to understand grassland bird population declines. Qing has worked on numerous bird species (mallards, northern pintails, snowy plovers, barn swallows, boreal birds) as well as wild monkeys.
