The Department of Biology is pleased to host our very own Dr. Kristen Ruegg, Associate Professor of Biology at Colorado State University, for an upcoming seminar you won’t want to miss.

Title: The Bird Genoscape Project: Using Genomic Tools to Advance Avian Conservation
Speaker: Dr. Kristen Ruegg, Associate Professor, CSU Department of Biology
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Biology Building, Room 136

Dr. Ruegg will explore how genomic tools are being used to support avian conservation efforts—an exciting topic for anyone interested in genetics, ecology, or wildlife preservation. It’s a great chance to learn something new, ask questions, and connect with others in the department.

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Abstract

Kristen Ruegg’s research integrates conservation biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, and genomics to uncover the mechanisms that generate and sustain species diversity in a rapidly changing world. In her promotion talk, Dr. Ruegg will highlight her lab’s contributions to advancing the field of avian conservation. Nearly half of all songbird populations in the Western Hemisphere are currently in decline, and because migratory birds traverse vast distances between breeding and wintering grounds, identifying the causes of these declines has been particularly challenging. To address this, Dr. Ruegg co-founded the Bird Genoscape Project, a collaborative network of scientists across the hemisphere working to map migratory routes using cutting-edge genetic tools. Her talk will provide an overview of the Bird Genoscape Project and showcase how these data are being used to identify population-specific threats throughout the annual cycle, with the ultimate goal of informing more effective conservation strategies for migratory birds.