Dickinson, Janis Lou
Associate Professor
Janis Dickinson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Arthur A. Allen Director of Citizen Science at Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Her research spans the fields of behavioral ecology, evolutionary ecology, demography, and molecular ecology of birds and insects. In the realm of citizen science she explores use of research models that blend exploratory research with citizen participation.
research
research and scholarship focus
Dickinson`s research focuses on the costs and benefits of delayed dispersal, cooperation, conflict, and reproductive decisions in birds and insects. She is also involved in conservation related research in residential landscapes and investigating bird declines as a result of human activities.
primary investigator of
co investigator of
- CITIZEN SCIENCE: DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF A MODEL FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPERS | Research Grant
- PROJECT NESTWATCH | Research Grant
research areas
- adult and extension education | collaborative research area (CALS)
- biodiversity | collaborative research area (CALS)
- community development | collaborative research area (CALS)
- conservation biology | collaborative research area (CALS)
- ecology | collaborative research area (CALS)
- education | collaborative research area (CALS)
- entomology | collaborative research area (CALS)
- environmental sciences | collaborative research area (CALS)
- evolution | collaborative research area (CALS)
- genetics | collaborative research area (CALS)
- landscape ecology | collaborative research area (CALS)
- molecular genetics | collaborative research area (CALS)
- ornithology | collaborative research area (CALS)
- science education | collaborative research area (CALS)
- sustainable agriculture | collaborative research area (CALS)
- teacher education | collaborative research area (CALS)
- urban environment | collaborative research area (CALS)
submitted impact statement
- NestWatch | 2007 Impact statement
- Delayed dispersal: teasing apart the importance of resources versus parents | 2007 Impact statement
- Celebrate Urban Birds NYS! | 2007 Impact statement
- Impacts of acid rain and mercury on forest breeding birds | 2007 Impact statement
- Project NestWatch| | 2006 Impact statement
- Impacts of acid rain and mercury on forest breeding birds | 2006 Impact statement
- Celebrate Urban Birds New York State | 2006 Impact statement
- Project NestWatch: A National Citizen Science Participation Project | 2005 Impact statement
affiliations
head of
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Citizen Science | research program
faculty appointment in
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (CLO) | research institute
- Natural Resources (NTRES/DNR) | Cornell department
member of graduate field
- Natural Resources | graduate field
- Neurobiology and Behavior | graduate field
other Cornell affiliations
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (CLO) | research institute
teaching
teaching focus
Dickinson guides graduate students in the fields of behavioral ecology and conservation biology, focusing on question-driven research and field experiments.
teaches
- BIOEE 7800 - Graduate Seminar in Ornithology (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- BIOG 2990 - Introduction to Research Methods in Biology (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- BIOG 4990 - Independent Undergraduate Research in Biology (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- NTRES 4971 - Individual Study in Applied Ecology and Conservation Ecology (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- NTRES 4991 - Honors Research in Natural Resources (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- NTRES 7800 - Graduate Seminar in Ornithology (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- NTRES 7900 - Graduate-Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- NTRES 8900 - Master's Thesis Research (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- NTRES 9900 - Doctoral-Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
- BIOEE 7800 - Graduate Seminar in Ornithology (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
- BIOG 2990 - Introduction to Research Methods in Biology (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
- NTRES 4971 - Individual Study in Applied Ecology and Conservation Ecology (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
- NTRES 7800 - Graduate Seminar in Ornithology (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
- NTRES 7900 - Graduate-Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
- NTRES 8900 - Master's Thesis Research (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
- NTRES 9900 - Doctoral-Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
- BIOEE 7800 - Graduate Seminar in Ornithology (TBA -) | fall 2008 class
- NTRES 7800 - Graduate Seminar in Ornithology (TBA -) | fall 2008 class
service
outreach focus
Dickinson uses citizen science to educate the public, bring STEM education to underserved audiences, and create environmental awareness through attachment to and appreciation of birds.
background
educational background
- Ph.D - Cornell University - 1987
- B.S. - Binghamton University - 1981
publications
selected publications (listing in progress)
- Dickinson, J.L. and A. McGowan. 2005. Resource wealth drives family group living in western bluebirds. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London B (In press).
- Saether, B.-E., Engen, S., Møller, A.P, Visser, M.., Fiedler, W., Matthysen, E., Fiedler, W., Lambrechts, Becker, P.H. Brommer, J.E., Bukacinski, Dickinson, J., du Feu, C., Gehlbach, F.R., Merila, J., Rendell, W., Robertson, R., Thomson, D.L., Torok, J. 2005. Time to extinction in bird populations. Ecology 86: 693-700.
- Dickinson, J.L. 2004. Local breeding competition and a female shortage explain helping behavior and facultative sex ratio adjustment in western bluebirds. Animal Behaviour 68: 373-380.
- Dickinson, J.L. 2004. A test of the importance of direct and indirect fitness benefits for helping decisions in western bluebirds, Behavioral Ecology 15: 233-238.
- Ekman, J., J.L. Dickinson, B.J. Hatchwell, and M. Griesser. 2004. Delayed dispersal. Pp 35-47 in: W.D. Koenig and J.L. Dickinson (eds) Evolution and Ecology of Cooperative Breeding in Birds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Dickinson, J.L. and B.J. Hatchwell. 2004. Fitness conseqeuences of helping behavior. Pp 48-66 in: W.D. Koenig and J.L. Dickinson (eds) Evolution and Ecology of Cooperative Breeding in Birds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Dickinson, J.L. 2001. Extrapair copulations in western bluebirds: female receptivity depends on male age. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 50: 423-429.
- Kraaijeveld, K. and J.L. Dickinson. 2001. Family-based winter territoriality in western bluebirds: the structure and dynamics of winter groups. Animal Behaviour. 61: 109-117.
speaker at Cornell event
Keywords: and citizen science focused on birds, animal behavior, behavioral ecology, citizen science, conservation, conservation biology, molecular ecology, ornithology