[Biostudent] Undergraduate Research - Rico-Guevara Lab

[Jason L. Patterson]

Undergraduate Research Experience Autumn 2022
Behavioral Ecology and Biologging Ethics of Hummingbirds

I am Alyssa Sargent, a PhD student in the Biology Department in the Behavioral Ecophysics Lab (where I work with Dr. Alejandro Rico-Guevara). I study the behavioral and movement ecology of hummingbirds, and by extension have begun focusing on the ethics of biologging. I am seeking undergraduate students to help with a project studying the behavior of tagged hummingbirds.

Behavioral Monitoring of Hummingbirds Wearing a Custom Radio-Transmitter Backpack: A Case Study for Field-Accessible Biologging Ethics
As advanced wildlife tracking tools become ever smaller and increasingly prevalent, the number of studies on the movement ecology of various animals have risen exponentially. The study of biologging ethics-the ethics of deploying auxiliary markers on animals-has not, however, kept the same pace. There is still a pressing need for species-specific experimental designs, suitable and accessible for remote field settings, that explore the effect of external tags. Hummingbirds are notoriously tiny and energy-constrained birds, complicating tagging efforts and making effective time budgeting of critical importance. In my work in Colombia and Ecuador, we are comparing behavior of hummingbirds with and without a custom, previously untested radio-transmitter harness. This project is a great opportunity to join cutting-edge research on how some of the world's smallest radio-transmitters affect the world's smallest birds.

What you can get out of this work:

  *   A foundational understanding of hummingbird behavior, the application and design of cutting-edge technology/tools, and the ethics of deploying radio-telemeters to study animal movement
  *   An introduction to logistics in remote, international fieldwork
  *   Work is easily done remotely with your own computer (but the lab has some computing resources if needed!)
  *   Regular meetings to discuss modern and classical work that has been done in the field
  *   Join the dynamic and exciting Behavioral Ecophysics Lab; we conduct work in nearly every continent of the world comparing the amazingly diverse groups of nectar-feeding birds
  *   Research credits starting in Winter quarter
  *   Potential coauthorship on a peer-reviewed academic publication (this will be extremely helpful if you're considering going to grad school!)

What I am looking for from you:

  *   At least 4 hours a week of work
  *   An interest in the work (no need to be declared in any particular major)
  *   Consistency in your work and careful attention to detail
  *   Starting work the week of Nov 7

You will be given training and mentorship for the above-mentioned project, an opportunity to develop your own academic ideas to apply to unique research projects, and the opportunity to be a part of the academic publication process.

If you are interested:
Email me at sargena at uw.edu<mailto:sargena at uw.edu> with your CV or resume (no need to include GPA unless you want to) and a short message about why you are interested in this project. Don't worry about committing straight away-you can ask questions and we will figure out if this is the right research fit for you!


Jason Patterson, M Ed. (He/Him)
Academic Counselor Senior, Department of Biology
patterj at u.washington.edu<mailto:patterj at u.washington.edu>
318 HCK, University of Washington, BOX 355320 Phone: 206-543-7767
http://www.biology.washington.edu/programs/undergraduate
Biology Zoom drop-in advising hours (10-15 min meetings):
Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
My Regular Drop in Zoom days:  Tues, Thurs 1-4 pm, and  Mon, Tues, Weds, Thursday 9-12pm.
Zoom link for those hours: https://washington.zoom.us/j/97207369544

Advising Sessions Via EMAIL, PHONE, and ZOOM. In person individual advising available by appointment only.


Appointments by request.  Please include your name and student number in your emails.

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