The Schubot Center as part of a 2022-2023 Innovation [X] project
We proudly announce that the Schubot Center for Avian Health is part of a successful grant from the Innovation[X] Program at Texas A&M University.
The Innovation[X] Program, part of the Unit of Undergraduate Engagement at Texas A&M University, via the Texas A&M Foundation brings together faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students from across the Texas A&M System to work on research-based projects that address important global issues. This program has run since 2019 and has directly involved over 300 students and 100 faculty in 31 projects with grants of $20 000 each.
Ms. Heather Prestridge of the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections in conjunction with Schubot director, Dr. Sarah Hamer, Dr. Gary Voelker from the Ecology and Conservation Biology department, and Dr. Heather Thalar from the Anthropology Department have joined forces to lead a project called “Lights out Texas: a team-based approach to integrating university research with citizen science conservation efforts”. This project’s goal is to create a system for rapid mobilization of data and sampling of bird specimens coming from casualties in metropolitan areas during bird peak migration. The primary objective of the project is to develop a sampling protocol and pipeline for specimens entering the Texas A&M University’s Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections through the statewide Lights Out Texas Program.
The Innovation [X] “Lights Out Texas”, like all Innovation [X] projects, gives undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to be part of this multidisciplinary initiative. If you would like to join the team and participate in a series of hands-on activities from bird specimen preparation, curation, and sampling to data digitalization and research on these specimens, submit your application HERE. The student application deadline is AUGUST 8, 2022.
Join us to congratulate Ms. Prestridge, Dr. Hamer, Dr. Voelker and Dr, Thalar for this important achievement!