About Me
Three generations of birdwatchers: my late grandmother, Joanne Moore, my mother Nancy Moore, and me.
Early exposures to wild birds, zoos, and natural history museums shaped my lifelong passions. Photo circa 1996.
My early experiences with science communication began as a teenage volunteer at the Boise Zoo, where I discovered a love for sharing the natural world with the public. As a freshman at the University of Idaho, I started studying the breeding biology of Northern Saw-whet Owls, an experience that sparked my passion for ornithological research. Over the next several years, I participated in research projects across the western United States and Colombia, studying topics ranging from owl breeding behavior to banding migratory songbirds while gaining experience in field, museum, and laboratory research.
Today, my research combines genomics, comparative methods, microscopy, and natural history collections to understand how biodiversity evolves. Much of my work has focused on the spectacular radiation of Indo-Pacific kingfishers, using them as a model system to study speciation, plumage evolution, and island biogeography. More recently, my research has expanded to investigate the evolution of structural white feathers and the remarkable nanostructures that produce them.
I'm an evolutionary biologist who uses genomic and computational approaches to investigate fundamental questions about how and why species diversify. At the same time, I am deeply rooted in natural history collections. My research depends on museum specimens to answer evolutionary questions, and I am equally committed to growing, preserving, and sharing these collections so they continue to advance scientific discovery for generations to come.
Both of these passions trace back to my family. I'm the third generation of women birdwatchers in my family, and my late grandmother spent many years as a docent at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Growing up in Boise, Idaho, I learned to appreciate biodiversity while camping, skiing, and birdwatching with my mother. Those early experiences instilled a love of both birds and museums that ultimately shaped my career.
Beyond research, I enjoy connecting people with science through museum exhibits and public outreach, as well as teaching workshops on data visualization and scientific figure design. I believe museums are among our most powerful tools for both scientific discovery and public engagement, and I hope my career contributes to both.
Without a doubt, I would not be where I am today without those early experiences in birding and museums. They continue to shape not only the questions I ask as a scientist, but also how I hope to inspire curiosity about the natural world in others.
Every so often, I have the opportunity for international bird watching trips with my mother. In November 2025, we were in Cairns, Australia and I saw one of my favorite species for the first time: Southern Cassowary!