Kelly Williams

Kelly Williams is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Biological Sciences at Ohio University, College of Arts and Sciences. She leads the Williams Avian Ecology Lab and is currently a Rush Elliott Professor (2022–2027), an honor recognizing excellence in teaching, research, and student mentoring. Her research is centered on avian ecology, with a focus on habitat use, movement, and survival in human-dominated landscapes.

Her research interests include avian behavioral and physiological ecology, movement ecology, full annual cycle ecology, and conservation. She is particularly interested in how habitat structure affects resource availability and how individual behavioral and physiological variation influences reproduction and survival. Her lab investigates overwinter habitat use of sparrows, movement ecology of Henslow’s Sparrows, and bird-building collision monitoring on campus.

The publications listed reflect her expertise in avian ecology, including studies on dietary behavior of migratory warblers, demographic costs of habitat occupancy, and contributions to Ohio's breeding bird atlas. These works span tropical and temperate ecosystems and employ field and analytical techniques such as telemetry, GIS, and statistical modeling.

• Rush Elliott Professor in Biological Sciences (2022–2027)

Kelly Williams actively mentors undergraduate and master’s students in research and experiential learning. Her lab is funded by the Rush Elliott Professorship, Ohio University Research Council, Columbus Audubon, and Kirtland Bird Club, supporting student projects in avian conservation. She collaborates with the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative and uses the Motus Wildlife Tracking Network for migration studies.

The Williams Avian Ecology Lab conducts field research using bird banding, automated and manual telemetry, territory mapping, and collision monitoring. The lab operates two Motus Towers in Athens County and engages in outreach through presentations and public bird-banding demonstrations.