It is the tension between creativity and skepticism...                      -Carl Sagan

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Isotopic niche widths of Cinclodes ovenbirds.  Figure from Rader et al. 2016.

Isotopic niche widths of Cinclodes ovenbirds.  Figure from Rader et al. 2016.

Research 

Biomechanics, morphology, ecology, and stable isotopes

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Teaching

Click here to learn more about my teaching efforts.

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My 1/20th scale model of the "Sue" specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex.

My 1/20th scale model of the "Sue" specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex.

Art

Sculpture, painting, and photography

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I am from the perpetually beautiful, occasionally desolate, and frequently harsh place called Wyoming. I spent much of my early life biking in the prairie, hiking in the mountains, and taking the natural world around me somewhat for granted. Somewhere around middle school, I discovered that dinosaurs were more interesting in real life than they were in picture books, and that steered me toward a career in science.

Sunset over the Snowy Range in southeastern Wyoming, as viewed from Laramie, WY.

Sunset over the Snowy Range in southeastern Wyoming, as viewed from Laramie, WY.

Carl Sagan wrote that, "Finding out the way the world really works requires a mix of hunches, intuition, and brilliant creativity; it also requires skeptical scrutiny of every step." I like to think of myself as a creative person, and I endeavor to bring that creativity into my study of how animals have adapted to the challenges that their lives present to them. As for the second part of the quote, regarding skeptical scrutiny, I am still learning. I will use this website to document the process.

 

- Quotes from Carl Sagan, 1986. Skeptical Inquirer, Volume 10.3.