Sep 2024: The Smith Lab has moved to Texas A&M-Kingsville!
Feb 2023: Texas Chapter of the wildlife society
Members of the lab, Becca Nishida and Jen Smith attended and presented at the annual meeting of TCTWS in Houston, TX. Jen also attended in her capacity of advisor of the UTSA student chapter of The Wildlife Society along with 15 undergraduate members. Huge congrats to the student chapter for representing us in the quiz bowl for the first time ever! Look out for us in the future! #Birdsup!
Fall 2022 Conferences
Members of the lab attended the Annual Meeting of the Association of Field Ornithologists in Plymouth, Massachusetts and The Annual Meeting of The Wildlife Society in Spokane, Washington
Summer 2022
It’s been a while since we’ve given an update, but there has been lots going on this summer including the second field season for our non-native crayfish project in Arizona and New Mexico funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and co-led by co-PI Dr Matt Troia and MS student Tony Javiya (aka #TeamPinchy). New lab member Lexi Baum (third pic from left) is starting efforts in the lab to look at microplastic exposure in terrestrial birds, and Becca Nishida (pictured with Luz Torres and Jen Smith) has been surveying people as part of our project funded by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to understand the benefits of Bird City Texas for residents of certified communities - huge thanks to all who have helped this summer! Stay tuned for more updates!
Spring 2022
Huge congratulations to lab member, Amanda Lamberson who successfully defended her thesis entitled ‘Urban wild bird feeding: Impacts on avian abundance and diversity in Texas’!
Congratulations, Amanda!
Huge congratulations to lab member, Amanda Lamberson who successfully defended her thesis entitled ‘Urban wild bird feeding: Impacts on avian abundance and diversity in Texas’!
Summer 2021
Lots of fun and productive activity this summer including our first field season in Arizona and New Mexico as part of a project co-led by Dr Matt Troia and funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in which we are assessing the distribution of non-native crayfish in the Lower Colorado. Joining us was MS student Tony Javiya and research assistant, Steven Melzow…stay tuned for more from #TeamPinchy! And, lab member Gil Martinez got underway with his research which is focusing on the ecology of white-lipped frogs in the Rio Grande Valley!
October 2020
Some members of the Smith Lab out hawk watching at the Corpus Christi watchsite in Hazel Bazemore Park. Left to right: Amanda Lamberson, Jamie Killian, Jennifer Smith, and Eres Gomez.
September 2020
Members of the Smith Lab presented their research at the first virtual UTSA Earth Symposium on September 4, 2020. MS student Amanda Lamberson delivered an oral presentation on her supplementary bird feeding project, while other members Jamie Killian, Eres Gomez, Marina Zannino, and Gabriela Vara presented posters on their latest research.
August 2020
Congrats to Lab PI, Jen Smith for being elected as an Elective Member of The American Ornithological Society (Class of 2020) in recognition of her significant contributions to ornithology!
August 2020
Smith Lab member’s Jen Smith, Amanda Lamberson, and Eres Gomez attended the virtual North American Ornithological Congress (NAOC). A good time was had by all, and we’re especially proud of Amanda for presenting her research focused on the effects of backyard bird feeding on bird abundance and diversity at the biggest ornithology conference EVER!
April 2020
The San Antonio Express News featured an article on Jamie Killian’s research on the Texas horned lizard and working with landowners! Read here
April 2020
Check out lab member Jamie Killian discuss some facts about the Texas horned lizard!
April 2020
UTSA Today featured lab member Jamie Killian’s research on the Texas horned lizard! Read here!
March 2020
The San Antonio Express News featured an article on Amanda Lamberson’s work on the San Antonio Bird Feeding Project!
Read here
TCTWS Annual Meeting - February 2020
Dr. Smith, who is one of the advising faculty for the new Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society at UTSA, along with lab and chapter members Jamie Killian and Amanda Lamberson represented the lab and chapter at the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s annual meeting in Corpus Christi, TX. In attendance as well were founding members John Kinsey, chapter liaison, Ursula Alvarado-Miller, advising faculty, and student Vice-President Alex Toder.
February 2020
Congratulations to lab member Gabriela Vara who was awarded the Student Scholarship for the Texas Association of Museums 2020 annual conference. This award provides a complete student package for the conference.
AFO-WOS Joint Meeting - October 2019
Members of the Smith Lab had a great time getting to meet other members of the ornithological community and catching up with friends at the 2019 joint meeting of the Wilson Ornithological Society and the Association of Field Ornithologists in Cape May, NJ. Eres and Amanda presented preliminary results of their research - go team!
TWS-AFS Annual Conference - September 2019
The Smith Lab recently attended the joint meeting of TWS and AFS in Reno, NV - multiple members of the lab were recognized in the Women of Wildlife event & Jen gave a talk entitled ‘Women of Wildlife Work/Life Balance - Does It Really Exist?”
Science Friday - August 2019
Recently Jen joined Ira Flatow of Science Friday on stage in San Antonio to talk about her research. Listen to the interview here.
May 2019
UTSA Today highlights the Smith Lab’s ‘San Antonio Backyard Feeder Project’ and how to get involved. Find the article here.