Email:

jfornara@iu.edu

Campus:

IU Bloomington

I am a first-year PhD student in the lab interested in the causes and consequences of aggression in wild female songbirds. By applying a female-centered perspective to the study of aggression, I will be able to address questions like: What does it take to be an aggressive female? What do females gain from being aggressive? Specifically, my research focuses on how individual physiology and the environment interact to shape aggressive behavior. I am also interested in using longitudinal data to study the direct and indirect fitness benefits of aggression for female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). 

I earned my B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, where I performed research on anti-predator behavior in house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) and nesting ecology in black-throated sparrows (Amphispiza bilineata) under the mentorship of Dr. Dustin Reichard and Dr. Laurie Anderson. Outside the lab, I can be found working on DIY projects, training for my first triathlon, or reading on my patio.