Benjamin freeman - PI

Why do species live where they do? How are species responding to climate change and other major environmental challenges in the Anthropocene? Ben pursues these fundamental and applied questions as an Assistant Professor and Elizabeth Smithgall-Watts Endowed Faculty in the College of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech. For more information, contact Ben directly at bfreeman47@gatech.edu.

CV (August 2023)

Samuel jones - Postdoctoral researcher

Sam is an ornithologist and tropical ecologist, primarily working on studies in Mesoamerica and central Africa. Fundamentally he is interested in understanding birds in tropical forests and mountains. How do so many species exist in one place? How do their lifestyles differ from temperate species? How are these communities changing? And what can be done to plug the (enormous) data gaps that prevail across tropical birds. Recently, Sam saw Congo Peacock while doing fieldwork in the DRC, maybe the bird of a lifetime.

Pranav Gokhale - Graduate student

Pranav is a naturalist who is fascinated by the incredible diversity of species around us, and studies the eco-evolutionary mechanisms that create and maintain species diversity in space and time. He conducts rigorous fieldwork, combined with historical and citizen science data, to study species distributions, especially on tropical mountain slopes (the hottest biodiversity hotspots on Earth!). When not doing research, Pranav spends a lot of time on wildlife photography, trekking; catch him singing Ghazals (at home!) and listening to Indian Classical music in his free time. Shoot Pranav an email if you want to chat about birds, mountains, and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.

María josé (majo) arias-saavedra (she/her/ella)- Graduate student

Majo Arias is a tropical ecologist from Ecuador/Colombia. She’s interested in the ecology and conservation of birds that live in northern South America and is studying the local drivers of avian abundance patterns in the Tropical Andes of Ecuador. Majo loves fieldwork in beautiful places, enjoys any and all outdoor activities, and is a fan of nature poetry and writing. Send her an email at marias35@gatech.edu

sidharth srinivasan - Graduate student

An engineer turned ecologist, Sidharth is fascinated by the natural world, from astronomy to wildlife. He is intrigued by the question ‘Why do species live where they live?’ and is interested in studying the impacts of climate change on the distribution of mountain birds. He is also interested in species interactions, especially within mixed-species bird flocks. He has extensive field experience across the Himalaya, where he carried out his Master’s dissertation on bird-bamboo associations. When he is not watching birds, he dabbles in wildlife photography, stargazes, plays racket sports, board games and video games. He also enjoys sketching and playing musical instruments. Feel free to reach him at sidharthsrinivsasan@gatech.edu.

Lily Gowens - UnderGraduate student

Lily is an evolutionary ecologist interested in how an organism’s traits influence how they perceive, interact with, and ultimately survive in their environment, especially in the face of climate change. She is currently investigating the response of montane avian species to climate disruption in the Colorado Rockies. In her free time, Lily enjoys crocheting sweaters, mountain biking, leading community bird walks around Georgia Tech campus, and sketching the natural world around her (she has a job as a scientific illustrator!)

shreyas arashanapalli - UnderGraduate student

Shreyas mainly specializes in evolutionary biology and ecology, specifically looking at the intersection of territoriality and sexual selection in birds. They are currently exploring patterns of territoriality across latitudes, understanding if songbirds are more likely to defend territory in pairs/ familial units at certain latitudes or if they will defend territory by their lonesome. Outside of research, Shreyas likes to delve into the horror and science fiction genres in literature and film, play around with music production, and crochet.

Nia gladden - UnderGraduate student

Nia is a conservation ecologist fascinated by the interactions between people and animals, particularly in urban environments. She is currently researching the impact of historical redlining practices on urban bird biodiversity. In her free time, Nia enjoys hiking, rollerskating, and practicing divination through tarot cards and palm readings.

Robert ernst - UnderGraduate student

Robert is an evolutionary ecologist investigating how organisms’ behaviors, traits, and interactions with other species determine their abundances and distributions. He is currently investigating the effects of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds on host bird populations. Outside of work, Robert frequently rock climbs both indoors and outdoors, leads students on guided whitewater kayaking tours, plays the bass guitar, and reads a ton of novels, both fiction and non-fiction.