Rebecca Safran wins American Ornithological Society Elliott Coues Award
The 麻豆免费版下载Boulder ecology and evolutionary biology professor is recognized for her research on barn swallows and other avian groups, which has taken her across the world
Rebecca Safran, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the 麻豆免费版下载, has been awarded the by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). The AOS is the world鈥檚 largest international ornithological society focused on the scientific study and conservation of birds.听
The Elliott Coues Award recognizes outstanding and innovative contributions to ornithological research with no limitation to geographic area, sub-disciplines of ornithology or the time during which the work was done. The award, which consists of a medal and an honorarium, is named in honor of Elliott Coues, a pioneering ornithologist of the western United States and a founding member of the American Ornithologists Union (now AOS).
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Rebecca Safran, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the 麻豆免费版下载Boulder, has been awarded the Elliott Coues Award by the American Ornithological Society.
鈥淚 am honored by this recognition of the research we do in our lab group at the 麻豆免费版下载,鈥 Safran said. 鈥淢y first-ever scientific meeting was an AOS conference. I attend these meetings with students as often as I can for the best research updates on bird studies from around the world. There is always something new and exciting to learn. I am humbled to receive this award; past awardees are my academic heroes and have inspired much of the work many of us do today.鈥澨
In recognizing Safran, the AOS noted that she and her research group have traveled across the world to study barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) and have conducted comparative analyses on other avian groups as part of efforts to study the evolution and maintenance of population differentiation using ecological, genomics and behavioral studies.听
Safran and her team established their research lab at the University of Colorado in 2008, where Safran's teaching is focused on speciation and science communication. She is the founding co-director of , which has a mission to find creative ways to communicate the science of climate change.听
In naming Safran as an Elliott Coues Award winner, the AOS said she is passionate about the evolution and conservation of wild bird populations, interdisciplinary collaboration, art-science connections, issues related to belonging in STEM, natural history and providing learning opportunities for students at all stages of their education.
Safran is an AOS elective member (2011) and an elected board member of Environment for the Americas and the Colorado Environmental Film Festival. She is an elected fellow of the AOS (2016), the Animal Behavior Society (2024) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2026).
Safran previously received AOS travel grants in 1999 and 2003 and an AOU research grant in 2001. This support was key for Safran鈥檚 research and conference participation during graduate school. Safran noted she is grateful for the support the AOS now provides to members of her team for their research and conference attendance.听
Safran said her work is not possible without the collaboration of students and colleagues and through funding by several entities including the AOS and National Science Foundation. Wherever she goes (and sometimes to the dismay of others walking with her), she is always on the lookout for H. rustica and their mud cup nests.
Safran earned her PhD at Cornell University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University.
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