Paul Rodewald (Project Director and Principal Investigator) is based at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology where he is Senior Editor of the Birds of North America series. His research has emphasized the stopover ecology of migrant landbirds, particularly their movement ecology and habitat selection and how these relate to local- and landscape-scale attributes. He is interested in avian biogeography and the myriad of factors that influence distributional change, pursuing some of these interests through the Second Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. Paul did extensive teaching as an Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Ohio State University (2001-2013). He is now a Senior Lecturer at Cornell where he teaches Field Biology, a natural history-based course for undergraduates in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences. Paul can be reached via email at ohiobba2@gmail.com. | |
Matthew Shumar (Research Associate and Project Coordinator), originally from southwestern Pennsylvania, has worked on wildlife research projects throughout much of the eastern US. He received a B.S in Wildlife & Fisheries Science from the Pennsylvania State University, and an M.S. in Wildlife & Fisheries Resources from West Virginia University. His research at WVU focused on landscape ecology and specifically, developing predictive models for Cerulean Warblers in the Appalachians. Matt can be reached via email at ohiobba2mbs@gmail.com. | |
Erin Cashion (Research Aide) graduated from New Mexico State University in 2003 with a B.S. in Biology. She has worked as a seasonal avian biologist in Maine, California, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Kiribati, Queensland, and Ohio. Erin received a Master’s degree in Environment and Natural Resources from The Ohio State University in June 2011. Her research investigated the use of natural and restored habitats by songbirds during fall stopover in the agricultural landscape of northwestern Ohio. Erin is a member of our Publication Committee. | |
Aaron Boone (Former Project Coordinator) grew up actively birding in northern Illinois. He worked as a field ornithologist in various research projects for Idaho State University, Clemson University, and The Ohio State University, and he has an M.S. in natural resources from The Ohio State University’s School of Environment and Natural Resources. His research at OSU utilized stable-carbon isotope analysis to investigate the impact of tropical winter habitat use on Magnolia Warblers migrating through northwestern Ohio. Aaron is a member of our Publication Committee. | |
Nathan Stricker is a native of rural Shelby County in west central Ohio. He has a M.S. in zoology from Ohio State University where he investigated influences on nesting success of common terns along the Ohio shores of Lake Erie. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Natural Resources at OSU where his research has focused on habitat for nesting marshbirds. Nathan now conducts grassland bird research as a wildlife biologist at the Olentangy Upland Wildlife Research Station with the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Nathan can be reached via email at Nathan.Stricker@dnr.state.oh.us. Nathan is a member of our Publication Committee. | |
Jim McCormac is a lifelong Ohioan and an expert of the natural world. He is an avian education specialist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and contributes to a nature column for the Columbus Dispatch. He was inaugural president of the Ohio Ornithological Society, and served for seven years as secretary of the Ohio Bird Records Committee. Jim was a Regional Coordinator for OBBA II and is a member of our Publication Committee. | |
Dave Slager has worked as a biologist since 2002 on various basic and applied research projects across the United States and in Latin America. He received a M.S. in Wildlife Ecology in 2011 from Ohio State University, where his research examined the spatial behavior of migrant songbirds at stopover sites. He has served the OBBA II as a volunteer, a field crew member, a Regional Coordinator, a Research Aide, and a member of the Publication Committee. | |
Katharine Batdorf recently received her M.S. from the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University. Her thesis focused on understanding changes in the distributions of Ohio’s breeding birds between the first and second Ohio Breeding Bird Atlases. She received her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in Ecology and Evolution and worked as a research technician and science educator for many years in various locations, most recently in Yosemite National Park, CA. Kate was instrumental in helping to organize field work for completion of OBBA II. |
In addition to the group of staff that assisted with completion of the Atlas, a large number of volunteer Regional Coordinators dedicated countless hours to surveying the state and working with volunteers in their regions. You can find more information on our Regional Coordinators HERE.
Please direct mail inquiries to:
Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II
School of Environment and Natural Resources
The Ohio State University
210 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road
Columbus, OH 43210