Studying social structure and the evolution of sociality
Brent Stoffer and I are working on a new initiative to incorporate data science and coding into UC’s introductory biology course. We received funding from UC to start implementing these changes. See the overview of our plans in the video here
I developed a module for the course in 2021 which was based around using automated tracking data from penguins at the Cincinnati Zoo.… [Read full details]
Julie Barnes: “A Big Data Approach to Studying Feline Welfare in Shelters “
My first graduate student, Julie Barnes, finished her Masters project this summer and graduated! Julie did a great job on her project, which integrated aspects of animal welfare with big data and technology.… [Read full details]
I was really excited to be awarded the University of Cincinnati “Forward Faculty” award for Transformational Experiential Learning this year. This award is for my learn-to-code course for undergraduates which introduces them to coding in R using topics in Animal Behavior and data from the Cincinnati Zoo’s penguins. … [Read full details]
Hobson Lab Masters student (and postdoc with CREW at the Cincinnati Zoo) Julie Barnes got pulled in on an exciting project recently — the zoo asked for her help getting an ultrasound on their pregnant hippo!
Check out the story here:
How do you perform an ultrasound on a hippopotamus?
Hobson Lab undergraduate researcher Austin Simon worked with us this year on data from the Cincinnati Zoo’s Little Blue Penguin population. We collaborate with Dr. Katie Kalafut, who founded the use of automated RFID data collection on the penguins at the zoo.… [Read full details]
Congratulations to Hobson Lab undergraduate student Shruti Parashar!
Shruti did a great job summarizing several analyses of Little Blue Penguin social behavior during her very first scientific presentation, called “Analyzing social relationships of Little Blue Penguins”.
Shruti has been a member of the Hobson Lab Penguin Data Club since Fall 2019 (our very first semester!).… [Read full details]
I’ve been working with Katie Kalafut and the Cincinnati Zoo for about a year now with their Little Blue Penguin movement database. Katie started collecting RFID data on the penguins to estimate how much time each was swimming and now my group is also following up with some more socially-focused analyses.… [Read full details]
There are limited opportunities for a small group of students to conduct penguin behavioral observations in person at the zoo, under the supervision of Hannah Griebling (University of British Columbia).
If you are interested in this opportunity, please out your information in this form (https://forms.gle/8y3EXZQK64ofwfuK6… [Read full details]
I am currently recruiting undergraduate students interested in gaining data science and analytical skills. “Penguin Data Club” is a weekly meeting for undergrads at the University of Cincinnati. Working in collaboration with Dr. Katie Kalafut and the Cincinnati Zoo, we will dig into the social lives of Little Blue Penguins.… [Read full details]
The first new Cincinnati Zoo babies of the year are baby penguins!
Here’s the news from the zoo: http://cincinnatizoo.org/news-releases/little-blue-penguin-hatchlings-kick-off-cincinnati-zoos-year-of-the-penguin/
The zoo is reporting Reuben and Chip as the parents of these two new chicks. Interestingly, in our very preliminary analyses last semester in Penguin Data Club, Reuben was very social while Chip was not (based on RFID tags and swimming data).… [Read full details]