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EDUCATION

PhD In Progress
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Interdisciplinary Graduate Program
Senner Lab

BA University of California, Santa Cruz
Environmental Studies

2022 - Present

2016

EMPLOYMENT

Graduate Fellow
Smithsonian Institute, National Zoo and Conservation Biology

Teacher of Record, Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Project Leader and Ecologist
Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge

Field Director and Course Instructor
UC Santa Cruz Outdoor Recreation

Field Course Assistant
UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies Department

Field Course Assistant
UC Santa Cruz Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department

June – December 2026

2022 - Present

2019 - 2021

2013 - 2020

2017 - 2018

2018

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

PhD Candidate, UMass Amherst
What shapes southbound migratory strategy of seven Alaska breeding shorebird species?
I lead field work at remote sites across Alaska, nest-searching and trapping breeding birds, deploying PinPoint GPS transmitters, coordinating fieldwork logistics, training assistants, managing tracking data, analyzing and mapping movement tracks, and conducting statistical analyses to understand migratory strategy, connectivity, and assess population threats.

Advised by Dr. Nathan Senner, in collaboration with USFWS Migratory Bird Division (James A. Johnson) and Manomet Conservation Science (Daniel R. Ruthrauff)

Project Leader and Ecologist, Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge
I managed 30-year monitoring study and dataset of seven breeding seabird species. Led weekly field trips to Año Nuevo Island, conducted ground counts, productivity studies for ground, cliff, and underground burrow-nesting seabirds, hired and supervised undergraduate interns and scholars, managed project budget, grant deliverables and wrote annual reports. Contributed to International Shorebird Survey in Chilean Atacama Desert and conducted shorebird surveys in California.

Field Intern, UC Davis
I studied the nesting ecology of alpine breeding white-crowned sparrows. Conducted nest searches in the Sierra Nevada mountains, trapped birds with potter traps, assisted with field logistics

Field Volunteer, USGS
I studied the distribution of American Pika in National Parks. Conducted surveys in Grand Tetons National Parks for pika territories, assisted with field logistics.

Undergraduate Thesis Researcher, UC Santa Cruz
I studied the migration of Lesser Long-nosed bats and their relationship with their food source, the Cardón Cactus. Surveyed caves, PIT tagged bats along the Baja California peninsula. Designed, led, and conducted senior thesis work studying the measured nectar production in night-blooming cactus in relation to bat visitation

Advised by Dr. Winifred Frick and Dr. Michael Loik

2022 - Present

2019 - 2021

2018

2016

2015 - 2016

TEACHING AND LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

UMass Amherst, Environmental Conservation & Biology Department
Teaching Assistant

Forest Tree and Shrub Identification – NRC-212: Fall 2025
Life after Biology – Bio-494 : Fall 2024 & Fall 2025
Introductory Physiology – Bio-288: Spring & Fall 2023

UMass Amherst, College of Natural Sciences
Teaching Fellow

Designed and taught 1-credit First Year Seminar: A Semester Outside - learning natural history in the field

UC Santa Cruz, Outdoor Recreation Program
Field Director and Instructor, Wilderness Orientation and Recreation

Hired, trained and supervised 15 Wilderness Orientation staff to lead 12-day backcountry trips for 200 incoming students annually
Led two- to twelve-day mountaineering, backpacking, mountaineering, and rock climbing backcountry trips for undergraduate students
Taught backcountry travel, leadership, and survival skills, provided wilderness first aid, facilitated positive group dynamics and resolved conflicts in an intensive field setting
Approximately 550 total days spent in a field setting with roughly 600 total undergraduate students over seven years

UC Santa Cruz, Environmental Studies Department
Course Assistant, Natural History Field Quarter

Assisted 10-week, 15-unit intensive field course for 28 undergraduate students
Traveled to four sites across California in the UC Natural Reserve System for 10 – 14 day field trip
Supported student learning goals, taught natural history and observational skills, helped build and maintain a safe and positive learning environment in a field setting
Ran camp logistics including meal planning, transportation, field gear, and schedule

UC Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolution Department
Course Assistant, California Ecology and Conservation

Assisted 7-week, 20-unit intensive field course for 28 undergraduate students across UC campuses
Traveled to four sites across California using the UC Natural Reserve System for 10 – 14 day field trip
Supported student learning goals, taught scientific field methods, helped build and maintain a safe and positive learning environment in a field setting
Ran camp logistics including meal planning and prep, transportation, field gear, and schedule

2022 - Present

Fall 2024

2013 - 2020

Spring 2017 & 2018

Sept - Nov, 2018

GRANTS AND AWARDS

Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
Mark E. Hauber Award for best oral presentation on avian behavior, American Ornithological Society Conference
Massachusetts Biodiversity Grant - with Bird Safe UMass
UMass Equity & Inclusion Grant
UMass Fieldwork & Outreach Grant
Women for UMass Grant
UMass Amherst Libraries SOAR Fund
UMass College of Natural Science Teaching Fellowship
Honorable Mention, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Western Field Ornithologists
Honorable Mention, National Defense Science and Engineering Fellowship
Honorable Mention, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Honorable Mention, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Student Research Award, Ken Norris Center for Natural History

2026
2026
2026
2026
2025
2025
2024
2024
2024
2023
2023
2021
2020
2016

--
$1,000
$173,404
$1,100
$5,700
$3,500
$1,330
$4,632
--
$1,500
--
--
--
$400

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS AND CONTRIBUTED DATA

Bathrick RE, Johnson JA, Ruthrauff DR, Christie KS, Courtemanche A, Gesmundo C, et al. Tringa flavipes (Lesser Yellowlegs) from separate breeding sites subdivide the Prairie Pothole Region in space and time during southbound migration. Ornithological Applications. 2026; duag048.https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp/duag048
Bathrick RE, Johnson JA, Ruthrauff DR, Snyder R, Stager M, Senner NR. Migratory strategies across an ecological barrier: is the answer blowing in the wind? Mov Ecol. 2024;12(1):70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-024-00509-2
Linscott JA, Basso E, Bathrick R, et al. The Amazon Basin’s rivers and lakes support Nearctic-breeding shorebirds during southward migration. Ornithological Applications. Published online August 9, 2024:duae034. doi:10.1093/ornithapp/duae034
Ecosystem Status Report of the California Current for 2020–21: A Summary of Ecosystem Indicators Compiled by the California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Team (CCIEA)

R. Bathrick, J. Beck, R. Carle and M. Hester. 2019 - 2021. Año Nuevo State Park Seabird Conservation and Habitat Restoration: 2021. Unpublished Report to the Calif. Department of Parks and Recreation, Año Nuevo State Park

R. Bathrick, 2016. Nectar by night: nectar patterns of a trioecious bat pollinated cactus in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Unpublished undergraduate senior thesis. University of California, Santa Cruz. Co-advised by Winifred Frick and Michael Loik.

ACADEMIC POSTERS AND PRESENTATIONS

*remote

Student Poster Presentation: “Migratory flyways and flexibility among Alaska-breeding shorebird species.” Student Conference on Conservation Science, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY, USA.

Student Oral Presentation, “Alaskan Shorebird take the Hemisphere: defining flyways, strategies and flexibility among a suite of species during post-breeding migration.” American Ornithological Society Conference, UMass Amherst, MA, USA. Received the Mark E. Hauber Award for best oral presentation on avian behavior.

Oral Presentation, “Making UMass Bird Safe”, Eastern Working Group of Partners in Flight, American Ornithological Society Conference, UMass Amherst, MA, USA.

Oral Presentation*, “Multi-species post-breeding tracking project”, Alaska Shorebird Group, Anchorage, AK, USA.

Student Oral Presentation, “Migratory strategies of Lesser Yellowlegs populations within the Prairie Pothole Region.” Lesser Yellowlegs Symposium, Western Hemispheric Shorebird Group meeting, Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, CAN.

Student Oral Presentation, “Is the answer blowin’ in the wind? Differential migratory strategy in Alaska-breeding Short-billed Dowitcher.” American Ornithological Society Conference, London, Ontario, CAN.

Student Poster Presentation, “Dowitcher Deviations: How does a geographic barrier drive migratory strategy?” Association of Field Ornithologists, Plymouth, MA, USA.

Student Poster Presentation, “Dowitcher Deviations: How does a geographic barrier drive migratory strategy?” Internet of Animals Symposium, Yale University, CT, USA.

October 2026

August 2026

August 2026

February 2026

August 2024

August 2023

October 2022

November 2022

OUTREACH WORK AND MEDIA

*remote

Invited Speaker: Making UMass Bird-Safe, UMass Science Stories, Hadley Public Library

Guest Lecture in Hidden Landscapes, Architecture Department, UMass Amherst

Lead Curator: Reflections on Collisions: the science and architectural solutions to bird-window strikes at UMass, American Ornithological Society Conference, UMass Amherst

Invited Speaker: From Flyway to Feeder: The Science Behind Bird Migration, Habitat Stewardship, and Public Engagement, UMass Downtown Summer Seminar Series

Guest Lecture in Ornithology undergraduate class, Biology Department, UMass Amherst

Lead Curator: Reflections on Collisions: the science and architectural solutions to bird-window strikes at UMass, Olver Design Building Gallery at UMass Amherst

KYUK Radio Segment: “Migratory bird tracking research hopes to reveal bird’s winter homes” in Bethel, Alaska

Community Science Talk: Shorebirds of Seward Peninsula at the Kegoayah Kozga Public Library. Nome, AK

Guest exhibitor: MIT Museum’s After Dark Series (Birds). Boston, MA

Invited Speaker: Hampshire Bird Club

Newspaper Article: “Tracking the epic migrations of American and Pacific Golden-Plovers: from neighbors on the tundra to oceans apart” Nome Nugget, Nome, AK

Invited Speaker*: Spectacular Shorebird migrations at Strait Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK

Invited Speaker: UMass Amherst Graduate Student Seminar Series

Make UMass Bird Friendly Visual Report, presented to Office of the Chancellor, UMass Amherst

Guest Speaker* at fourth grade class, Seattle Public School, WA

KOTZ Radio Segment: “Dowitcher Migration in a migratory grey zone” in Kotzebue, AK

Community Science Talk: “Bird Migration in Bristol Bay” Naknek Native Village Council in Naknek, AK

Guest Speaker at second grade class, The Center School in Greenfield, MA

Outreach Article: “Arctic-Breeding Greater Yellowlegs Tracked to Los Angeles River” Los Angeles Audubon Blog Post

Graduate Student Panel*, UC Santa Cruz Younger Lagoon Reserve, CA

Guest Speaker* at fourth grade class, Seattle Public School, WA

Guest Speaker*, “Seabird colony on your coastline” Scotts Valley High School, CA

Invited Speaker, Alumni of UC Santa Cruz Natural History, Natural History Symposium, UC Santa Cruz, CA

December 2026

September 2026

August 2026

July 2026

May 2026

March – May 2026

August 2025

June 2025

May 2025

April 2025

February 2025

February 2025

February 2025

January 2025

December 2024

July 2024

June 2024

Jan 2024

September 2023

February 2023

November 2023

December 2020

February 2020

GRADUATE COURSEWORK

NRC 210: Arboriculturists Field Techniques (chainsaw use) - Spring 2026
ECO 692: Migration Theory – Fall 2023
OEB 691: Classic Papers in Evolution – Fall 2023
OEB Core Course: Ecology – Fall 2023
ECO 363: Applied Ecological Statistics – Spring 2023
OEB Core Course: Evolution – Fall 2022
ECO 602: Analysis of Environmental Data – Fall 2022
OEB ProSeminar – Fall 2022

SERVICE AND COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Short-billed Dowitcher Working Group, steering committee
Bird Safe UMass: leading member of an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students tracking bird-window collisions that occur on our campus
Graduate Employee Organization (Local UAW 2322): Union Program Steward for OEB Graduate Program
Anti-Oppression at Adventure Recreation Committee, founding member

2026 - Present
2024 - Present
2023 - 2025
2020 - 2022

FIELD SKILLS AND CERTIFICATES

Wilderness First Responder and CPR Certified
Approximately 500 total hours spent at mist-netting and banding stations
Approximately 200 GPS transmitters deployed on wild birds in a field setting
Ability to drive large vehicles off-road and hitch/drive trailers
Ability to drive an inflatable zodiac with outboard motor

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Rozy Bathrick

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