Outreach & Initiatives
Beyond my academic research, I am passionate about bringing together people from different disciplines to learn from and with each other. Check out some of my current involvements and initiatives!
Leadership & Professional Service
The Wildlife Society (TWS) Student Chapter President
As President of the SIU Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society (2026-2027), I lead various initiatives focused on professional development for aspiring wildlife biologists, hands-on conservation field experiences, networking, and fostering an inclusive community for students in natural resources.
Community Engagement & Technical Outreach
Active Animals Ontology
As part of the Active Animals project, I help develop the backend infrastructure to standardize and structure animal behavior and ecological interaction data for the community.
iNaturalist Ambassador
As an iNaturalist Ambassador, I work to engage people with the iNaturalist platform, teaching others how to recognize local biodiversity and document it for science (like mine!). I advocate for ethical recording practices and lead outreach events to bring others together. I help conduct bioblitzes, tutorials on how to contribute to iNatuarlist, and presentations on how participatory science data contains a wealth of information for scientific discovery
WILDLABS Group Leader
As a co-leader of the WILDLABS AI for Conservation group (2026-2027), I help foster a global community of conservation tech practitioners, researchers, and developers exploring artificial intelligence applications in ecological monitoring. I facilitate group discussions, share resources, and connect people working at the intersection of AI and ecological conservation.
Biodiversity Hall of Fame
An initiative dedicated to celebrating global biodiversity, ecological conservation, and community efforts in documenting and honoring species diversity worldwide.
Visit the Hall of Fame at biodiversityhalloffame.org.
Monthly Vibe Coding Parties
With my fellow colleagues and co-hosts, Kalindi Fonda and Filippo Varini, we organize global monthly virtual vibe coding sessions bringing together researchers, developers, and participatory scientists to experiment, build, and share vibe-coded projects in a low-pressure, supportive environment. Our goal is to help others realize the potential of technology to support their ecological interests, research, or work, while building knowledge about the capabilities and limitations of LLMs for conservation work.
Join us at our next monthly session and check out the awesome projects our community has developed at the Vibe Coding Party Gallery.