Dr. Amber Wendler

IGC FELLOW GRADUATE    |   Global Change Center

VT GRADUATE May 2025  •   Biological Sciences  

Research Interests: Behavioral ecology, conservation biology, and ornithology

Advisors: Dr. Ignacio Moore, Dr. Jeff Walters

awendler@vt.edu

Dr. Amber Wendler successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in May of 2025.

Amber was a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech co-advised by Dr. Ignacio Moore and Dr. Jeffrey Walters. She was also an NSF GRFP Fellow. Amber received her Bachelor’s degree in biology from Boston University in 2018.

After exploring many aspects of biology, Amber pursued research to better understand how a bird’s environment affects their behavior and physiology, specifically in the tropics. Her research investigated differences between Puerto Rican Tody populations in rainforest and dry forest environments.

In addition to research, Amber is passionate about making STEM and the outdoors more inclusive. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities, such as hiking, camping, kayaking, and birdwatching.

Amber was excited to be a part of the Interfaces of Global Change program, which gave her the opportunity to engage in science communication and interdisciplinary research.

Learn more about Amber’s research and DEI projects here.

Last updated May 2025.

In the News

VT Grad Student Co-Organizes Black Birders Week (VT News 2020)
Fellow Spotlight: Amber Wendler (GCC News 2021)
From Capstone Project to Published Paper (GCC News 2025)