Spring Semester is Coming to an End

Well oops, I am staring at the end of the Spring Semester and just now writing another new blog post. My last one was in January and it feels like yesterday. My biggest change is that I will probably be graduating in the fall instead of the summer. That is ok since I won't be as rushed to analyze data and write my manuscripts. I think we will be submitting my first chapter (golden eagle mitochondrial work) for publication very soon as I have received and incorporated comments by my committee. Chapter 2 (golden eagle SNPs/conservation unit development) is a work in process and changes on a daily basis. Although, I must say it is coming along and I will be excited to see the final end product. My goal at this point is to have most of my chapters submitted for publication before I have to defend my dissertation.

In terms of my research, all of my samples are submitted so I am officially done with lab work (for my dissertation). This is such a weight off my shoulders and it gives me more time to continue developing my bioinformatics skills and write my dissertation. Collaborations are continuing to bloom so even when I graduate I will have plenty of raptor genetics projects to keep me busy. I also have some personal genetic projects I would love to get funding to do surrounding red-tail hawk phenotype, so I just have to do some convincing (and grant writing) on my end :)

Work at the aviary is going well. We just hosted a big outreach event for kids, Spring Migration, that had 2 live bird shows, 22 booths, and food trucks. I greatly appreciated the help we had from OSU organizations, ODWC, and others as it really made the day memorable for the approximately 250 people that came out. Based on the feedback I have received, I definitely think it will be worth pursing next year. So, keep an eye out for Spring Migration 2018. We also have two rehabilitation eagles that are doing very well, so once the breeding season is over and the Oklahoma bald eagle babies have fledged, we plan on getting them back into the wild!

Enjoy a few pics from Spring Migration 2017.