Hello! My name is Dr. Olivia Sanderfoot, and I am an ornithologist and global change ecologist in the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. My research is focused on understanding how birds are impacted by wildfire smoke, from the individual to the population level. A major goal of my work is to identify smoke refugia – the places and resources birds use when it is smoky – and recommend specific conservation actions to support birds in an inevitably smokier future.

My research program is highly interdisciplinary, linking data and tools from ornithology, quantitative ecology, public health, and atmospheric science. Participatory science is a common thread throughout my work. I am passionate about connecting people to birds to further ornithological research and inspire bird-friendly actions. I believe birding is a superpower, and all participatory scientists are superheroes! In addition to my research, I lead Project FeederWatch, an international participatory science monitoring program that keeps tabs on winter birds across the United States and Canada. I am also the founder of Project Phoenix, a community science initiative to monitor bird responses to wildfire smoke in the western United States.

Prior to joining the Cornell Lab, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Washington and both my B.S. and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

I was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin and am deeply proud of my Midwest roots. I am driven by my passion for environmental policy and conservation, my love for birds, and my strong belief in the Wisconsin Idea – the philosophy that a university’s research should be applied to solve problems and improve the health, well-being, and environment of the community it serves.

To learn more about my academic and professional experience, click here to view my CV. If you are interested in contacting me about my research or public engagement opportunities, please feel free to email me at osanderfoot[at]cornell.edu. I look forward to hearing from you!