Carly Aulicky
She/Her
I am queer, lesbian and I am a biology PhD student.//
I am a PhD candidate at Kansas State University, where my research focuses on how leks influence where lesser prairie-chickens can be found throughout space and time. Leks are places where males group together to perform elaborate displays. For lekking species, few males reproduce and no males contribute to parental care. Prior to my doctoral research, I did my MSc. at the University of Glasgow in Scotland as a Fulbright Scholar and my B.S. at Rutgers University in New Jersey. It was during my master’s research on blue-crowned manakins in the rainforests of Ecuador that I first experienced the quirky nature of lek-breeding birds. Curiosity about the evolution, function, and strong sexual selection of leks continues to drive my research. Now I apply this interest to the conservation of the imperiled lesser prairie-chicken and try my best to straddle evolutionary and applied biology. When I am not out conducting fieldwork, I participate in science outreach and queer advocacy. Outside of being a giant bird-nerd, I am a black-belt and enjoy the life-long practice of martial arts and find joy in writing fiction for fun and playing D&D.
Twitter: @CarlyAulicky