Jennifer Phillips-Vanderberg is a Ph.D. biologist with extensive experience conducting ornithological research. She has worked as a life scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago, addressing pollution-control issues in the Great Lakes Region, primarily in eastern and southern Wisconsin.
Phillips-Vanderberg is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She received her doctorate in animal behavior in 2016 from the University of California-Davis, where she used a combination of museum and field methods to study the evolutionary relationships among climate, life history, and coloration in 101 species of birds.
She assumes her Observatory position, with a life-long affection for the Great Lakes region and a deep appreciation for the issues facing the region and its birdlife.
She grew up in Michigan in a town on Lake Huron and worked for years as a naturalist at Michigan DNR’s Saginaw Bay Visitor Center, in Bay City, where she taught ornithology, conservation biology, ecology, wildlife management, and other subjects to students, developed an outreach program that used bird banding as a gateway to biology, and surveyed bird populations.
Sarah Stoll - Administrative Assistant
Sarah Stoll joined the Observatory in February, 2020. In addition to running a tight ship in the office, she provides engaging content for our Facebook and Instagram pages. She lives in Mequon with her husband, toddler son and two dogs and spends her free time riding her horse. Sarah is excited to join the Observatory because she wants to contribute to our conservancy and education mission. As a life-long Wisconsin resident, protecting our local resources is a cause near to her heart. You can contact Sarah at .