Tech for Conservation - Use your skills to help save the Planet! Unlike applications in medicine and other high commercial-value benevolent domains (e.g. air and water quality), there is a dearth of individuals with strong technical backgrounds (computer science, engineering, statistics) working in conservation biology/ecology domains. There is therefore a tremendous need and opportunity for you to make an impact! I would like to get together a team of passionate students (undergrad/grad) and postdocs with sufficient* technical skills to work to kick-start projects that will typically be in collaboration with faculty/students in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology or Forestry and Environmental Science. Projects will be more in line with applications in, for instance, wildlife tracking and conservation, and less in green engineering domains. We already have some existing potential project topics, or you are welcome to discover/propose your own. We do not (yet) have any funding for this effort other than for necessary supplies, so work will be either volunteer or for credit (e.g. senior project, independent research for credit). *The most useful skills for these projects include the following (and related) topic areas: machine learning, computer vision, signal processing, microcontrollers, mechatronics, robotics, and (less so) mechanical design/fabrication. You do not necessarily have to have deep experience in these areas, but the more the better. A general technical background, willingness to self-study, and a passion for conservation should suffice for many projects. While work will generally be self-paced, we hold weekly team meetings to keep the group updated with your progress and share insight/expertise. If you are interested, please email Prof. Aaron Dollar (aaron.dollar@yale.edu) with a summary of related coursework/experience (resume could suffice) and brief description of your interests (e.g. senior project topic, volunteer researcher, etc.).

In Spring 2020, we will be meeting weekly in Becton 227 on Tuesday nights at 7pm. Feel free to join us!