Janis Dickinson, PhD

Dr. Janis Dickinson has been the Director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Associate Professor of Natural Resources at Cornell University since 2005. Prior to her current position, she spent 18 years with U.C. Berkeley’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. At Cornell, she conducts National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research on the behavioral ecology of western bluebirds in Upper Carmel Valley, California, trains graduate students, and directs a large and talented staff in the development and delivery of continental-scale citizen science projects focused on birds. Dr. Dickinson’s interest in citizen science stems from the recognition that management of privately held lands play a critical role in conservation. Citizen Science is a powerful way to achieve long-term bird monitoring over vast geographic areas, including privately and public lands. Programs like NestWatch, Feeder Watch, eBird and Celebrate Urban Birds educate and support bird watchers interested in both competitive and altruistic birding. While integrating educational and scientific practices to optimize data quality, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s citizen science projects have begun to explore using the arts, social networking and the internet’s viral marketing capacity to engage people’s interest in bird study and conservation. Dr. Dickinson earned her Ph.D. in Entomology and Animal Behavior at Cornell University in 1987.

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