Throughout my career, I have taken an integrative approach to answering longstanding questions about animal communication and sexual signaling. Explaining the mechanisms that underlie signals of individual quality remains a key challenge in evolutionary and behavioral ecology. My research addresses key hypotheses for honest signaling in display behaviors with a focus on carotenoid-based songbird coloration, diving into genetics and even mitochondrial biology to translate the language of color.

At UWSP, I am establishing a long-term study of local house finches as a foundation for testing questions of color, behavior, and reproductive success. You can read a bit more about the project here!