The University of Massachusetts Amherst

Nathan Senner stands atop the Amherst Overlook
Academics

Nathan Senner Named Mass Audubon Chair for Ornithology

Image
Nathan Senner
Nathan Senner

Nathan Senner, assistant professor of environmental conservation, was recently named the Mass Audubon Bertrand Chair for Ornithology and will shift the focus of the Senner Lab’s research to bird conservation in Massachusetts.

Mass Audubon is the largest nature-based conservation organization in New England, “focusing on the greatest challenges facing the environment today: the loss of biodiversity, inequitable access to nature, and climate change.” It endows the Bertrand Chair and awards the position – named in honor of Gerard A. Bertrand, a renowned figure in the study of birds and environmental protection who served as president of Mass Audubon for nearly 20 years – to a distinguished leader in the field of ornithology and conservation.

In this role, Senner, whose research has focused on migratory birds, including those that pass through Massachusetts, will become more involved with bird-conservation-related outreach and research around the commonwealth. He will also work with the organization to promote efforts to conserve the state’s migratory birds throughout the entire year, even as they migrate to the Arctic or the most southerly extent of South America.

Importantly, the position provides funding for a graduate student at UMass whose research will help address these priorities. First up among their joint projects will be a study investigating how the Bay State’s burgeoning offshore wind-energy industry may affect the endangered Roseate Tern.

“Mass Audubon has a long and storied history of working to conserve the birds of Massachusetts,” Senner says. “I hope to help them continue those efforts, while forging a stronger connection with the students and scientists at UMass Amherst. Together, we want to create win-win scenarios that help people and ensure that Massachusetts's birds are here for everyone to enjoy long into the future.”

More information about Senner’s appointment can be found on the Mass Audubon website.