Lily Kunkel

Lily Kunkel (they/them) is a Two-spirit ecologist of Cherokee and Choctaw descent from Portland, Oregon. In 2022, they graduated summa cum laude from NYU with a B.A. in Biology (Ecology Track) and a minor in Child & Adolescent Mental Health Studies. Lily’s independent ecology research focused on avian biodiversity and environmental conditions in small urban cemeteries vs parks. Lily was also a member of the NYU Conceptual Development and Social Cognition Lab where they researched the impact of parent political ideology on children's punishment of in- vs out-group members. Their diverse research experiences, along with their time working at the Gallatin WetLab art gallery on Governors Island and at the NYU Office of Sustainability sparked a passion for interdisciplinary work.

As a PhD student, Lily intends to continue the work they started with Shahid Naeem in the Ecology With No Apology Lab Group over the last two years as a Columbia Bridge Scholar. They are broadly interested in urban avian communities and the ecosystem services they provide, particularly the intersection of cultural diversity and biodiversity. They are also interested in the urban Indigenous experience, human-nature relationships, citizen science, and creative, accessible science engagement!

In their free time, Lily enjoys birding, reading, and beading.