Kyle G. Horton, Ph.D. | Principal Investigator
Associate Professor, Purdue University
Forestry and Natural Resources
Education
2014–2017 University of Oklahoma – Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology – Norman, OK.
2012–2013 University of Delaware – M.S. in Wildlife Ecology – Newark, DE.
2007–2011 Canisius College – B.S. in Biology – Buffalo, NY.
What I like to do in my free time: birding, photography, listening to podcasts, watching Marvel and Star Wars series, and relaxing with family.
Carrie Ann Adams, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Carleton University & Purdue University
Department of Biology and Forestry and Natural Resources
Education
2017 – 2022 University of Alberta, Ph.D. in Ecology – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2012 - 2014 Stanford University, M.S. in Earth Systems - Palo Alto, California, USA
2008 - 2012 Stanford University, B.S. in Earth Systems – Palo Alto, California, USA
Research Interests: Artificial, birds, aeroecology, bioacoustics, landscape ecology, spatial ecology, conservation biology; I am interested in reducing negative human impacts on wildlife, especially birds
What I like to do in my free time: I enjoy gliding on cross-country skis, hiking on trails, sleeping in tents, and sitting around campfires with friends. Indoors, you’ll find me dancing to live music and sharing meals with family and friends.
Project: I am researching how artificial light at night and other aspects of urbanization affect birds’ migratory paths and stopover habitat selection. I am also identifying sources of light pollution outside of urban areas that overlap with areas of high migration intensity to prioritize these areas for light pollution mitigation efforts.
Lab Publication:
Carolyn S. Burt, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor, Purdue University
Forestry and Natural Resources
Education
2019 — University of Oklahoma — Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology — Norman, OK
2011 — Indiana University — B.A. in Biology — Bloomington, IN
Research Interests: behavioral ecology, conservation biology, population ecology, transdisciplinary convergence
What I like to do in my free time: hang with our micro mini sheepadoodle, Betty, watch horror movies, listen to Taylor Swift and electronic music, and go snorkeling whenever possible.
Project: I am the project coordinator for a Growing Convergence Research NSF award: A Novel Biodiversity approach for sustainable transformation of urban light. This research project tests the prediction that improved ecological forecasts coupled with community engagement will accelerate sustainability transformation using proliferation of artificial lights at night (ALAN) as a testbed system.
Lab Publications:
Sam Simon
Undergraduate Student, Colorado State University
Zoology
Research Interests: climate change, conservation biology, ornithology, evolutionary biology.
What I like to do in my free time: I enjoy reading sci-fi/ fantasy books, table-top games, and fishing.
Project: Investigating the impacts of land cover type and climate on the timing of Mexican Free-tailed Bat emergence in South Central Texas.
Betty Sue Burton
Senior AeroEco Lab Pup
Micro-mini sheepadoodle
Research Interests: Big data.
What I like to do in my free time: I love treats, naps on soft blankets, walks along the Poudre River, watching wildlife out my window, going out on the town, and generally hearing how cute I am.
Projects: I am involved in several of the ongoing projects in the lab. I’ve helped build bird boxes for tree swallows, networked at the bird migration and light pollution stakeholders meeting, and I’m always helping dad (Kyle) code on the lab’s projects.
Blanche Gerald Burton
Junior AeroEco Lab Pup
Mini sheepadoodle
Research Interests: Small data, smaller the better
What I like to do in my free time: My job is ball, just ball.
Projects: I’m more of an idea pup, you know, the big picture stuff.
Lab Alumni
Mikko Jimenez
PhD, Colorado State University — Graduated 2025
Current Position: Post-doc, Lincoln Park Zoo.
Project: Mikko integrated NASA remote sensing data with observations of avian biodiversity generated from weather radar sensor data to improve our team’s ability to predict avian migration. This work aimed to extend migration forecasts to unsampled areas by using a local gap-filling radar.
Yuting “Hermione” Deng
PhD, Colorado State University - Graduated 2025
Current Position: Post-doc, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Project: Examining the impact of climate change on aerial insectivore (e.g., Purple Martins, Tree Swallows) phenology at various spatial, temporal, and taxonomic scales. I’m working to quantify the phenology linkages between vegetation green-up, terrestrial and aquatic insect emergence, and aerial insectivore migration at life history stages when their roosting behaviors can be detected by weather surveillance radar. See: https://aeroecolab.com/insectivores
Lab Publications:
Maria Belotti, PhD Student
PhD, Colorado State University - Graduated 2024
Current Position: Post-doc, Oklahoma State University
Project: I am using weather surveillance radar data to study how large roosts of Purple Martins and Tree Swallows are distributed across their breeding range and what environmental factors influence roost density at these aggregations. See: https://aeroecolab.com/insectivores
Lab Publications
Annika Abbott
2019-2024 Colorado State University — B.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Fort Collins, CO
Project: Quantifying migratory bird arrival along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico using weather surveillance radar data. I hope to provide more specific estimates of when birds will make landfall, which can be used for conservation purposes to protect migrants as they arrive along the Gulf coast.
Lab Publication: Using weather surveillance radar to quantify the diurnal timing of spring trans-Gulf bird migration
Victoria Simons, M.S.
Master’s, Colorado State University - Graduated 2023
Current Position: Station Scientist, Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories, University of Minnesota
Project: Victoria combined RFID and radar to study the influence of atmospheric conditions on the use of airspace by aerial insectivores, primarily Tree Swallows. Victoria worked conducted her field work at CSU’s Mountain Campus.
Lab Publication: Radar revelations: insect availability influences parental provisioning in breeding tree swallows Tachycineta bicolor
Christian Narby
2019-2023 Colorado State University — B.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Fort Collins, CO
Trevor Thomas
2019-2023 Colorado State University — B.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Fort Collins, CO
Ali Khalighifar, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Colorado State University
Project: Ali used machine learning algorithms to develop a fully-automated and scalable bird migration forecast model. This model uses factors driving bird including migration activity, light pollution, atmospheric conditions. See here: https://aeroecolab.com/uslights
Lab Publication: Integrating multi-scale terrestrial and atmospheric predictors enhance nocturnal bird migration forecasts
Katie Badwey
2019-2022 Colorado State University — B.S. in Zoology, Fort Collins, CO
Project: Katie examined seasonal flight heights of nocturnal migrants across two western radar sites (Denver and Cheyenne). Katie successfully defended her honors thesis entitled: Assessing Drivers of Altitudinal Distribution in Migratory Birds.
Lainey Haas
2018-2022 Colorado State University — B.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Fort Collins, CO
Project: Lainey compared nocturnal migration phenology metrics using weather surveillance radar and eBird community science observations across the contiguous United States. See the following publication detailing this work:
Lab Publication: The correlation between eBird community science and weather surveillance radar-based estimates of migration phenology