Meet our Scientists

Lindsey Broadus

What is your favorite animal? Dogs

What do you study? I study how early life affects how ducks behave as adults.

What is the coolest thing you’ve seen or heard an animal do? When I was walking around an island with a bunch of western gull nests, one gull flew up out of the nest and laid an egg on my head!


Karli Rice Chudeau

What is your favorite animal? Flamingos and manatees

What do you study? I study how giving sick seals puzzles help them succeed when they go back to the ocean.

What is the coolest thing you’ve seen or heard an animal do? I saw an elephant seal give birth to her pup on the beach!


Victoria Farrar

What is your favorite animal? Humpack whales

What do you study? I study pigeons!

What is the coolest thing you’ve seen or heard an animal do? Once in the Arizona desert, I saw a desert tortoise fighting off a Gila monster that was trying to eat its eggs.


Nicole Korzeniecki

What is your favorite animal? Otters

What do you study? I study how social insects work together with the bacteria in their gut to better organize themselves in large groups.

What is the coolest thing you’ve seen or heard an animal do? I discovered a whole colony of ants moved into my laptop because they liked how dark and cozy it was.


Allison Lau

What is your favorite animal? Grizzly bears

What do you study? I study coppery titi monkeys who sing duets with their mate.

What is the coolest thing you’ve seen or heard an animal do? One of my foster kittens was born blind, but he uses sound, smell, and vibrations to move around.


Meredith Lutz

What is your favorite animal? Giraffes

What do you study? I study how flexible the social lives of primates are and how this relates to conservation.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen or heard an animal do? The first time I saw lemurs playing in the wild, because I was told it would never happen and it is such a fun behavior to watch.


Kirsten Sheehy

What is your favorite animal? American Dipper, a bird

What do you study? I study the Amazon Molly, an ALL female freshwater fish from southeastern Texas/Northeastern Mexico.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen or heard an animal do?  I once saw a Pine Marten hunting pika in the Sierras! It was very hard to decide which animal was cuter.