The College of Arts and Sciences’ Food for Thought livestreaming series serves as an opportunity for alumni and friends to hear from faculty and fellow alumni, explore topics of interest, and stay connected with IU and the College of Arts and Sciences. Our October 2021 Food for Thought programming was held in partnership with the College’s 2021 Themester Program - Resilience. Learn more at themester.indiana.edu.
During this presentation, Distinguished Professor of Biology Ellen Ketterson discussed the steep decline in North American bird populations and ongoing efforts to conserve avian biodiversity. Following her presentation, Ketterson participated in a moderated Q&A session.
Presentation Description:
North America has 3 billion fewer birds than it did 50 years ago, and the downward trends continue. During this talk, Professor Ketterson will discuss the magnitude of the problem and why it should be of concern to you regardless of your prior interest in birds. We will learn how birds provide us with services large and small from pollination of crops to cleaning up roadkill. We will address reasons for their decline and potential solutions to the problem. Finally, we will also talk about what individuals and communities can do to reverse the losses, including efforts to conserve the natural heritage of our region.
Speaker Biography:
Ellen Ketterson received her Ph.D. from Indiana University and joined the faculty at IU Bloomington in 1984. She is founding director of the Environmental Resilience Institute and the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, and is also affiliated with the Program in Neuroscience, the Cognitive Science Program, and the Kinsey Institute. She has mentored 27 Ph.D. students and 23 post-doctoral students. She teaches courses in animal behavior and biology of birds and conducts research on the evolution and ecology of songbirds. She is currently deeply engaged in teaching and research to conserve biodiversity.
Moderator Biography:
Migration Patterns Fellow Alex Jahn holds a bachelor’s of science in fisheries and wildlife management from Lake Superior State University, a master’s of science in biology from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary ecology from the University of Florida. Prior to joining the Environmental Resilience Institute, Jahn was a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, a visiting researcher at the Universidade Estadual Paulista-Rio Claro, Brazil, and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in Washington, DC. Jahn’s research investigates how ecosystems in Indiana and beyond are changing as a result of climate change and urbanization, with implications for human health, food security, and broader environmental resilience. He focuses primarily on bird migration.
The College would like to thank the IU Alumni Association and its members for their support of this program.
