Corey Tarwater, a University of Wyoming assistant professor in the Department of Zoology
and Physiology, is a winner of the American Ornithological Society’s Brina C. Kessel
Award. The award is presented to the author of an outstanding paper published in the
two preceding years in the society’s journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances. Here,
Tarwater holds an olivaceous flatbill. (Anna Chalfoun Photo)
Corey Tarwater, who studies birds for a living, received a feather in her research
cap.
Tarwater, a University of Wyoming assistant professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology, is the recipient of the American Ornithological Society’s (AOS) Brina C. Kessel
Award. The award is presented to the author of an outstanding paper published in the
two preceding years in the AOS journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances.
Tarwater, Ryan Germain and Peter Arcese were honored for their 2018 paper, “Examination of context-dependent effects of natal traits on lifetime reproductive
success using a long-term study of a temperate songbird.” This paper, based on a long-running study of a song sparrow population on an island
off the coast of British Columbia, showed that survival and lifetime reproductive
success were heavily affected by a suite of natal characters, but that maternal age
and inbreeding coefficient affected both traits.
“There are many amazing papers published in the journal, The Auk: Ornithological Advances,
every year, and I am humbled that my co-authors and I had a paper that the AOS committee
felt made a significant contribution to the field of ornithology,” Tarwater says.
“I hope that current and future ornithologists find our paper useful for the development
of their own future research.”
The award includes a $1,000 cash prize. It is given in honor of Brina Kessel, former
president of the American Ornithological Union (1992-94) and beloved leader and mentor
in ornithology.
“In 2020, we once again have the pleasure of recognizing the impressive talent and
incredible achievements of ornithologists at both early and senior career stages,”
says AOS President Kathy Martin. “Presenting the achievements of the award winners
for this year provides a ray of sunshine as we contemplate living with current global
challenges.”
Tarwater says the prize money will go toward travel, so that she and the two other
researchers, both from the University of British Columbia, can get together and collaborate
on other papers they have discussed writing.
Her research interests are broadly focused on the links between ecology, evolution
and behavior of year-round resident birds; and using individual-based studies to understand
variation in individual fitness and population demography.
Tarwater received her Ph.D. in ecology, evolution and conservation biology, and her
master’s degree in natural resources and environmental sciences, both from the University
of Illinois. She received her bachelor’s degree in wildlife, fish and conservation
biology from the University of California-Davis. She conducted her postdoctoral work
at the University of California-Berkeley and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
