Amanda Rodewald

she/her/hers

Garvin Professor and Senior Director of Center for Avian Population Studies, Natural Resources and the Environment Section

About

Amanda is the Garvin Professor and Senior Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies (CAPS) at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a Faculty Director with the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, and a faculty member in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University. Prior to joining Cornell in 2013, Amanda spent 13 years as a professor at Ohio State University. Since 2000, she has published >190 scientific papers, an Ornithology textbook, 10 book chapters, and >75 popular articles and commentaries, and has served as the primary advisor for 10 post-docs, 20 Ph.D. students, and 19 M.S. students. Amanda is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Ornithological Society, from which she received the William Brewster Award in 2022. She serves on the Science Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has testified before Congress about conservation issues, and is regularly featured in radio programs, short films, podcasts, and news articles.

Education

Ph.D. in Ecology, 2000. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.
M.S. in Zoology, 1995. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
B.S. in Wildlife Biology, 1992. University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.

Recent Research

Amanda leads an international research program that lies at the intersection of ecology and conservation and addresses socioecological challenges in temperate and tropical working landscapes, which she pursues by using both field-based studies and participatory science at and drawing upon social sciences. In addition to her research, Dr. Rodewald engages with a wide range of conservation practitioners, decision-makers, and leaders in government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector to develop practical and innovative approaches to conservation that can accommodate social and ecological needs.

Awards & Honors

Alfred Newton Academic Prize Lecture, British Ornithological Union, 2024
William Brewster Memorial Award, American Ornithological Society, 2022
Honorary doctorate, Universidad Cientifica del Perú, 2018
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2017
International Research Fellow, Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, Univ. British Columbia. 2016-18
Public Voices Fellow, The Op-Ed Project, 2017
Partners in Flight Investigation Award, 2013
Avian Conservation and Science Award, Ohio Ornithological Society, 2012
Fellow, American Ornithologists Union, 2011
Fellow, CIC Academic Leadership Program, 2010-2011
Distinguished Junior Faculty Research Award, Ohio State University, 2007
Price Academic Advising Award, Ohio State University, 2004

Courses Taught

Conservation Controversies – Graduate seminar (team-taught alternating years)

Contact Information

Cornell Lab, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Fernow Hall 103
Ithaca, NY 14853

(607) 254-2176

arodewald [at] cornell.edu

Additional Links

Selected Publications

Journal Publications and Proceedings

Zhu, L., N. Chau, A.D. Rodewald, and F. Garip. 2024. Weather deviations in Mexico linked to undocumented U.S. migration and its duration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 121 (46) e24005241. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2400524121
Rodewald, A.D., A. Lello-Smith, N. Magliocca, K. McSweeney, M. Strimas-Mackey, S. Sesnie, E. Nielsen. 2024. Intersection of narco-trafficking, enforcement, and bird conservation in the Americas. Nature Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01365-z
Neugarten, R.A., R. A. Rasolofoson, C. B. Barrett, G. Vieilledent, A. D. Rodewald. 2024. The effect of a political crisis on performance of community- and state-managed forests in Madagascar. Nature Communications 15: 2963.
Neugarten, R.A., R. Chaplin-Kramer, R.P. Sharp, R. Schuster, M. Strimas-Mackey, P. R. Roehrdanz, M. Mulligan, A. van Soesbergen, D. Hole, C.M. Kennedy, J.R. Oakleaf, J.A. Johnson, J. Kiesecker, S. Polasky, J.O. Hanson, A.D. Rodewald. 2024. Mapping the planet’s critical assets for people and biodiversity. Nature Communications 15:264. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43832-9
Schuster, R., R. Buxton, J.O. Hanson, A.D. Binley, J. Pittman, V. Tulloch, F. A. LaSorte, P. H. Verburg, A.D. Rodewald, S. Wilson, H.P. Possingham, and J.R. Bennett. 2023. Protected area planning to conserve biodiversity in an uncertain world. Conservation Biology. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14048
Dossman, B.C., A.D. Rodewald, C. Studds, P. Marra. 2023. Migratory birds with delayed spring departure migrate faster but pay the costs. Ecology 104:e3938 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3938
Lello-Smith, A., A.D. Rodewald, V. H. Ramos, K.V. Rosenberg, V. Ruiz-Gutierrez. 2022. Repeated burning undermines the value of regenerating cattle pastures for tropical forest birds. Biological Conservation. 271:109593 doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109593
Wilson, S., H.Y. Lin, R. Schuster, C. Gomez, A. Gonzalez, E. Botero-Delgadillo, N.J. Bayly, J.R. Bennett, A.D. Rodewald, and V. Ruiz Gutierrez. 2021. Prioritizing the conservation of migratory birds and resident vertebrates in the Neotropics under alternative planning strategies. Journal of Applied Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14077.
Jones, T.M., J.D. Brawn, I.J. Ausprey, A.C. Vitz, A.D. Rodewald, D.W. Raybuck, T.J. Boves, C.J. Fiss, D.J. McNeil, S.H. Stoleson, J.L. Larkin, W.A. Cox, A.C. Schwarzer, N. Horsley, E.M. Trumbo, and M.P. Ward. 2020. Parental benefits and offspring costs reflect parent-offspring conflict over the age of fledging among songbirds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2008955117
Liang, Y., I. Rudik, E. Zou, A. Johnston, A.D. Rodewald, C.L. Kling. 2020. Conservation Co-benefits from air pollution regulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2013568117
Lin, H.Y., R. Schuster, S. Wilson, S.J. Cooke, A.D. Rodewald, and J.R. Bennett. 2020. Integrating season-specific needs of migratory and resident birds in conservation planning. Biological Conservation 252:108826. doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108826
Sullivan, S.M.P., M. Rains, A.D. Rodewald, W.W. Buzbee, and A.D. Rosemond. 2020. Distorting science, putting water at risk. Science 369: 766-768.
Rodewald, A.D., P. Arcese, J. Sarra, J. Tobin-de la Puente, J. Sayer, F. Hawkins, T. Martin, B. Guy, and K. Wachowicz. 2020. Innovative finance for conservation: roles for ecologists and practitioners. Ecological Society of America, Issues in Ecology. https://www.esa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ESA_IssuesInEcology_no.22.pdf
Swift, R. J., A.D. Rodewald, J. Johnson, B. Andres, and N. Senner. 2020. Seasonal survival and reversible state effects in a long-distance migratory shorebird. Journal of Animal Ecology. doi:10.1111/1365-2656.13246.
Martell, J.E.M. and A.D. Rodewald. 2019. Frames, facts, and the science of communicating environmental crises. Conservation Biology. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13424
Rodewald, A.D., M. Strimas-Mackey, R. Schuster, and P. Arcese. 2019. Tradeoffs in the value of biodiversity feature and cost data in conservation prioritization. Scientific Reports 9: article 15921
Bennett, R.E., A.D. Rodewald, and K.V. Rosenberg. 2019. Overlooked sexual segregation of habitats exposes female migratory landbirds to threats. Biological Conservation 240:109266.
Wilson, S., R. Schuster, A.D. Rodewald, J.R. Bennett, A.C. Smith, LaSorte, F.A., Verburg, P.H., and P. Arcese. 2019. Prioritize diversity or declining species? Trade-offs and synergies in spatial planning for the conservation of migratory birds in the face of land cover change. Biological Conservation 239:108285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108285
Sullivan, S.M.P., M. Rains, and A.D. Rodewald. 2019. The proposed change to the definition of “waters of the United States” flouts sound science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 116:11558-11561.
Schuster, R., Wilson S., Rodewald, A. D., Arcese P., Fink, D., Auer, T., Bennett, J. R. 2019. Optimizing the conservation of migratory species over their full annual cycle. Nature Communications 10:1754. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09723-8
Arcese, P. and A.D. Rodewald. 2019. Predictors and consequences of earthworm invasion in a coastal archipelago. Biological Invasions. doi.org/10.1007/s10530-019-01942-w
Hernandez-Aguilera, J.N., J. Conrad, M. Gomez, and A.D. Rodewald. 2019. The economics and ecology of shade-grown coffee: A model to incentivize shade and bird conservation. Ecological Economics 159:110-121.
Schuster, R., A.D. Rodewald, T.G. Martin,, K.A. Wilson,. E.A. Law, M. Watts , H.P. Possingham & P. Arcese. 2018. Tax-shifting and incentives for biodiversity conservation on private lands. Conservation Letters. DOI: 10.1111/conl.12377
Sullivan, BL, Phillips, T, Dayer, AA, Wood, CL, Farnworth, A, Iliff, MJ, Davies, IJ, Wiggins, A, Fink, D, Hochachka, W, Rodewald, AD, Rosenberg, KV, Bonney, R, and Kelling, S. 2017. Using open access observational data for conservation action: a case study for birds. Biological Conservation 208:5-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.04.031

Amanda in the news

News

February 12, 2026

Grants fund oyster restoration, ‘cattlevoltaics’

Five new projects from the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability and The Nature Conservancy seek to protect pollinators, restore oyster habitats, manage flood risk and support “cattlevoltaics.”

Cornell Atkinson
Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
Natural Resources and the Environment Section

News

January 20, 2026

With planning, birds and floating solar can coexist

A new data-informed approach to siting floating solar in the Northeast could help protect birds, without sacrificing clean energy gains.

Cornell Atkinson
Lab of Ornithology
Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment

Amanda Rodewald

Contact Information

Additional Links

Selected Publications

Amanda in the news