معرفی
Virginia Abernathy is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at Clemson University. She holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolution from Australian National University (2017), an MS in Biology from Western Illinois University (2012), and dual degrees in Music Composition and Biology from Ohio Northern University (2009). Her research focuses on coevolutionary interactions between avian brood parasites (e.g., cuckoos) and their hosts, particularly studying egg coloration and host defense mechanisms. She actively mentors undergraduates through Creative Inquiry projects and service learning courses (BIOL 4950/4951), resulting in collaborative publications with students.
Dr. Abernathy teaches undergraduate courses in Vertebrate Biology (BIOL 3030) and Behavioral Ecology (BIOL 4700/6700), as well as online master’s courses in Understanding Biological Inquiry (BIOL 8400) and Understanding Animal Biology (BIOL 8450). Her research has been supported by grants including the Clemson University Creative Inquiry Publication Grant (2023) and Open Access Publishing Fund (2023). She is a member of the American Ornithological Society and has presented at international conferences such as the Animal Behaviour Society meetings.
Her recent work explores how climate change affects shorebird nesting phenology and investigates egg polymorphism in hosts of the Klaas's cuckoo. She has published extensively on coevolutionary dynamics between brood parasites and hosts, including studies on the channel-billed cuckoo and Asian koel.
