Photo credit: Tim Gallagher

When Miyoko Chu was 12 years old, she and her dad rescued three pigeons that were to be sold for food in San Francisco's Chinatown. She spent hours in the backyard coop watching her pigeons mate, lay eggs, and raise young. The fascination she developed for birds influenced the direction of her life, a direction that recently led her to become the new editor of Birdscope.

Miyoko steps into the job with a strong ornithological background and plenty of enthusiasm. "I can think of no better purpose for the study of ornithology than to inspire others to learn about birds, to get people involved in scientific research, and to use the results for the benefit of birds and their habitats," she says. She sees Birdscope as playing an integral role in that process.

Miyoko comes to the Lab from the Department of Conservation Biology at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park. There she studied the population genetics of Phainopeplas, Swamp Sparrows, and Yellow-billed Cuckoos. Prior to that, she received her Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied the ecology and behavior of Phainopeplas.

Complementing her scientific background is Miyoko's training as a science journalist. She earned a graduate degree in Science Communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. As part of that program, she served as a science reporter for The Oakland Tribune and an editorial assistant for Pacific Discovery magazine.

Now Miyoko is looking forward to working with Lab staff to use Birdscope to communicate the important work conducted by the Lab and its citizen scientists. Welcome, Miyoko!