TESSA RHINEHART

Hi! I am a PhD candidate in the Kitzes Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. 

I study wildlife ecology and conservation using quantitative techniques. To monitor animals at landscape scales, I develop and apply methods that use machine-learning classifiers to catalog biodiversity captured on autonomous sensors (such as acoustic recorders for sound-producing animals and camera traps for moths).

In Fall 2026, I will start a David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (Looking for application tips? Check here.) 

In addition to my research, I am passionate about birding (eBird profile), science communication (articles), and developing open-source tools for birders and ecologists (projects).