Dr. Kenneth Walker (Co-Director)
I am a rhetorical scholar/practitioner with expertise in science and environmental communication and transdisciplinary ecological research. Informed by the intersections of rhetorical-cultural theory and science and technology studies, my scholarship considers how publics affect cultural and political change through languages practices, especially in relation to ecological justice, crisis, and care. I am the author of Climate Politics on the Border: Environmental Justice Rhetorics, which examines public and political responses to extreme weather events through 100 years of San Antonio’s history, and argues for broad investments into democratic pluralism in a future characterized by climate breakdown. Born in the Great Basin in Nevada/Alta California/Washo Territory, I currently have three areas of active research: 1) a grant-funded transdisciplinary environmental justice project called the Urban Bird Project; 2) A transnational and transdisciplinary agroecological study abroad project with the Coalition for Regenerative Agriculture and Ecology (CREA); and 3) user experience, content strategy, and information design in critical-cultural approaches to digital media with technical/scientific content. I am also an Associate Professor of English at the University of Texas, San Antonio: https://colfa.utsa.edu/faculty/profiles/walker-kenneth.html
Dr. Amelia King-Kostelac (Co-Director)
For me, the Urban Bird Project represents the culmination of many years of interdisciplinary cultural and scientific research and advocacy work. I am excited to be engaging in community-lead research exploring narratives of the culture and ecology of birds alongside students, their families and communities in San Antonio.
I have worn many professional hats over the years, but the unifying theme of my work has been commitment to supporting equitable, culturally-sustaining educational opportunities for both youth and adult learners. For the past several years, I have worked as a researcher and mentor within the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Department of Environmental Science and Ecology, where I coordinate an NSF-funded program focused on supporting minoritized students’ success via holistic mentoring, public science communication training, and integration of habitual writing across the curriculum. I study and write about how students’ educational experiences can relate to development of a sense of belonging within educational spaces.
My goal is to engage inquiry and practices which identify and dismantle barriers to students’ success, and support policies and institutional cultures which center the cultural knowledge and expertise of historically-marginalized peoples and cultures. At present, my research focuses on two aspects of belonging: (1) how students’ engagement in free speech, expression and advocacy activities influences their belonging, and (2) how belonging relates to students’ disciplinary and professional identities. My background in visual studies informs many aspects of my approach to research, including interest in using drawing, mapping and collage as methods for understanding students’ perceptions and experiences. More information about my publications and current research projects can be found here.
Carolina Hinojosa (Co-Director)
I am an English Doctoral Fellow in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts at UT-San Antonio. I earned my Master’s degree in Literature, Creative Writing, and Social Justice from Our Lady of the Lake University and an undergraduate degree in English from UT-San Antonio.
My research focuses on Chicana feminist ecologies. I am from the Southside of Yanaguana San Antonio, Texas, and I am privileged to undertake my shared research alongside my community in my birthplace.
As a poet and scholar-mami, I am elated to be a member of the Urban Bird Project, where I share my passion for birds, comunidad, storytelling, and imagination.
Dr. Jen Smith (Co-Director)
I am an avian ecologist and my research aims to evaluate the potential effects of urbanization (the process of an area becoming urban) on the space use, demography (e.g., survival, number of offspring produced), and behavior of birds. My research aims not only to explore ‘how’ urbanization potentially affects birds, but ‘why’ by considering e.g., backyard bird feeding, habitat loss, and light and noise pollution. I am also interested in the connections between wildlife and humans and how such connections influence wildlife and people in our towns and cities. Overall, my objective is to conduct research that promotes sustainable land uses that consider the conservation of wildlife and human well-being. I am originally from the UK where I completed my undergraduate at Cardiff University and PhD at the University of Birmingham. I am currently an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio – Go Runners!
Eres Gomez (Research Program Coordinator)
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, my family has deep roots in the Yanaguana region. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Master of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). My graduate research focused on the effects of anticoagulant rodenticides (rodent poisons) on raptors (birds of prey) and I also worked in raptor rehabilitation where I assisted in the care and husbandry of injured, sick, and orphaned birds of prey like hawks, owls, eagles, falcons, vultures, caracaras, kites, crows and ravens, as well as learning basic falconry techniques. I am of Lipan Apache descent and birds have special cultural significance to me and my family. I love and appreciate that the Urban Bird Project brings together Birds and Indigenous culture for the greater community.
Dr. Claudia García Louis (Co-Principal Investigator, COEHD)
I am a Mexican immigrant, MamíScholar, and the proud daughter of former farmworkers. I was the first in my family to graduate from high school and go to college. Now as an assistant professor in the Education Leadership and Policy Studies Department at the University of Texas San Antonio, I use my lived experiences to inform my scholarship. My research approach is interdisciplinary in nature as I seek to disrupt negative stereotypes about Latinx students, minoritized populations, and underrepresented students through the critical incorporation of culturally appropriate, asset-based methodological approaches. My research goals are to expand the definitions of Latinidad and Blackness in higher education, to make a critical contribution to a newly formed line of inquiry that explores the educational experiences of AfroLatinx, and to conduct research that highlights Latinx intra-group heterogeneity, and the experiences of Latina-mamí-scholars. I envision this project breaking down barriers to science education while centering identity formation and parent involvement.
Dr. Lilliana Saldaña (Co-Principal Investigator, COEHD)
Piyali/Hello! Na notoka/My name is Lilliana Patricia Saldaña. I’m a local activist scholar from Yanawana, occupied territory known as San Antonio, with ancestral roots in San Luis Potosí (Guachichil), Zacatecas (Caxcan), and Michoacan (P’urépecha). As an Associate Professor in Mexican American Studies (MAS), with a strong commitment to Chicanx, BIPOC, working-class, immigrant, queer, and bilingual communities, I bring an interdisciplinary and community-based approach to my teaching, research, and praxis-oriented public scholarship. My research draws from Chicanx Studies methodologies, Xicana/x feminist thought, and decolonial studies to document and examine teacher identity and consciousness, epistemic struggles in education, and the coloniality of public celebrations like San Antonio’s Fiesta.
My work is published in nationally recognized journals including Chicana/Latina Studies, Journal of Latinos and Education, and Decolonization: Indigeneity, culture, & society, and am co-editor of two books: Latinas and the Politics of Urban Space (2020) with Sharon Navarro and Entre el Sur y el Norte: Decolonizing education through critical readings of Chicana/x/o, Indigenous, and Mexican music with Marco Cervantes. As a public intellectual and community-engaged scholar, I serve on the boards of organizations like the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center which promotes social justice through cultural arts programming and historic preservation, and the Mexican American Civil Rights Institute, which is dedicated to chronicling and sharing historic and contemporary civil rights milestones. Over the past seven years, I’ve worked with fellow scholars and educators across the state to advocate for MAS/Ethnic Studies in Texas K-12 public schools. To sustain these on-going efforts, I co-director the MAS Teachers’ Academy, a community-powered institute that supports teachers with MAS/Ethnic Studies pedagogy, curriculum development, and community leadership, with my colleague Dr. Gloria Gonzáles. I’m excited to be a part of the Urban Bird Project where I can weave community-engaged research, Chicanx Studies/MAS pedagogies, and Indigenous ecological knowledge!
Brenda Daniela Rivera López (Mellon Graduate Fellow, COEHD)
Brenda is an international student originally from Mexico, raised and born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, and identifies herself as Mexicana and Latina. She is a doctoral full-time student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program emphasized in Higher Education at the University of Texas at San Antonio. With up to 10 years of working trajectory in the academic field, her research is focused on experiences and struggles faced by Mujeres Mexicanas in the U.S. Educational System through testimonios, spotlighting the experiences of Mexicanas as they strive for success in Higher Education as a result of transmigration to the U.S.
¡Orgullosamente Norteña!
Mariel Ortega (Mellon Graduate Fellow)
I am a current UTSA Master’s student in environmental science with an interest in avian ecology, citizen science, and microplastics. I received my BS in Wildlife Ecology and BA in English from Texas A&M University. Over the past several years, I have worked on several ecology projects as a field technician and also as a science educator/communicator. Outside of work, I enjoy learning languages, playing chess, training capoeira, and of course birdwatching.
Henry Walker-Tamboli (Mellon Graduate Fellow)
I am a current UTSA Master’s student in Geography and Environmental Sustainability. I received my BA in Environmental Studies and Classical Studies with a minor in Museum Studies from Trinity University in 2023. In the past, I’ve worked primarily in museums and archives. My research interests are in how we can utilize archival collections and historical research as tools for climate and heritage preservation. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, swimming, and spending time with my pets.
Olarotimi Ogungbemi (Mellow Graduate Fellow)
I am a PhD Fellow at the University of Texas at San Antonio, specializing in environmental justice rhetorics, regenerative ecology, climate communication, and environmental stewardship. This multifaceted research aims to address environmental and climate challenges, balancing ecological preservation with social justice. With a decade of teaching experience in English studies in Nigeria, my expertise also extends to linguistics, discourse analysis, and sociolinguistics. I am a Fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies and an Urban Bird Scholar at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His work is particularly focused on integrating community voices into discussions about climate adaptation and policy-making to ensure that local needs and perspectives are recognized and prioritized. Growing up in Nigeria, I witnessed both the beauty and degradation of Nigeria’s ecosystems. This upbringing fuels my belief in the urgency of ecological stewardship and the need for environmental literacy education. In my free time, I enjoy observing our non-human neighbors, making physical and mental notes about them. My mission is to inspire others to make small changes in their daily lives for a significant environmental impact.
Former Compañera/o/s (2020 – 2023)
Lauren Granger (Graduate Research Assistant)
I am an Environmental Science Master’s Student in the Smith Lab at UTSA. My research will investigate the effects of backyard bird feeding on bird movements by utilizing Cellular Tracking Technology and community science.
Over the past 8 years, I have worked with non-profits and research intuitions, including the National Audubon Society, Virginia Tech, Powdermill Avian Research Center, and Klamath Bird Observatory. Working on a variety of research projects, I have had the privilege of banding birds along the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways while gaining knowledge in methods and techniques to survey avian populations.
In addition to fieldwork, I have served as an educator and taught environmental education as a Naturalist at a state park and as a volunteer with Audubon’s Green Leader Program. I am thrilled to be a member of the Urban Bird Project team, where I share my passion for birds while connecting communities to nature.
Dr. Marisol Cortez (Community Collaborator)
Rooted in San Antonio, I write across genre about place and power as a poet, novelist, and community-based scholar. Much of my writing, both creative and scholarly, is grounded in over 20 years of involvement in environmental justice movements, which informed my doctoral research at UC Davis. After an ACLS New Faculty Fellowship at University of Kansas, I returned to San Antonio, my home, to embed my writing and research in movements there to protect la madre tierra. A mama of two, I currently juggle writing, full-time parenting, and co-editing responsibilities for Deceleration, an online journal of environmental justice thought and praxis. Ultimately, I write to remember the land and its pluriverse of inhabitants; to make visible colonial logics of displacement; and above all to give voice to those longings that might call forth new relationships of ecosocial interdependence and solidarity.
In 2020, I published my debut novel Luz at Midnight (FlowerSong Press, 2020), which won the Texas Institute of Letters Sergio Troncoso Award for Best First Book of Fiction. I am also the author of I Call on the Earth (Double Drop Press, 2019), a chapbook of documentary poetry, and “Making Displacement Visible: A Case Study Analysis of the ‘Mission Trail of Tears’,” which together record the displacement of Mission Trails Mobile Home Community within the context of San Antonio’s colonial history. For more info on publications and projects, visit http://mcortez.net/.
Paulina Hernandez-Trejo (Graduate Research Assistant)
Although I am currently an English Master’s Student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, I was a middle school Language Arts teacher for three years after I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where I got my bachelor’s degree in English.
My future research and studies’ focus will be on Multicultural Literature, specifically Latinx and immigration narratives. I am a first generation student, originally from El Paso, TX.
During my years teaching 6th graders, I realized the severe lack of Culturally Relevant Teaching practices that our youth are exposed to in their curriculum. Teachers must go out of their way to use these practices. I strongly believe our youth deserves better—specifically our students of color that deserve to have their culture and history taught to them. I am excited to be working with the Urban Bird Project because I believe that this project will benefit our San Antonionian youth and enhance our community’s appreciation for CRT.
Renee Espinoza (Graduate Research Assistant)
Originally from El Paso, Texas, I am currently in my first year of the English Master’s program at UTSA. I graduated with my Bachelor’s in English from the UT school in El Paso (known as UTEP) in May 2022, and I moved to San Antonio to pursue a higher level of education in Chicanx Literature. During my final semester at UTEP, I completed my teaching internship at Irvin High School which serves a high population of Hispanic students where many become the first to graduate with a high school diploma. During my internship, I became fully invested in working with high school seniors because I was able to give them advice about a few things I wish I knew before entering college like specific terminology such as tuition, financial aid, etc.
Joining Urban Bird Project has been an exciting step in my education because it allows me to continue working with students. A big reason I chose UTSA for my graduate school is because they are a highly serving Hispanic population similar to UTEP. Growing up on the U.S. Mexican border is very unique to the American experience because we El Pasoans treat Ciudad Juárez not as a land that is foreign, but as one that mimics our own culture, language, food, and religion—a sister city. What I find most rewarding about this project is that we get to learn from our students and their families. Not only do we teach them about the history and ecology of San Antonio, but they also teach us about the history and stories of their families!
Juan-Danniel Hernandez (Graduate Research Assistant)
I am an English Doctoral Student in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English at UTSA before leaving to obtain my Master of Arts in English at Texas Tech University (TTU). There I specialized in Literature, Social Justice, and the Environment (LSJE).
My doctoral research focuses on transdisciplinary Environmental Justice Rhetorics and Politics. Having been born and raised in San Antonio, my research also stems from looking at more autonomously oriented designs to urban transitions for Mexican-American and other minority communities within San Antonio.
I am excited to engage in this community-led research on birds, people, and communities. I hope the Urban Bird Project can help promote understanding and build communities for students in the San Antonio area and beyond.