Deutschlander, Hess talk about crows

Associate Professor of Biology Mark Deutschlander and Instructor of English Mary Hess were featured in a story in the Friday, Feb. 29 edition of the Finger Lakes Times about a panel discussion on crows sponsored by the Finger Lakes Institute.

Deutschlander moderated the panel that included Hess, an "unapologetic fan of crows," who said "The popular image of crows is terribly confused. ... Crows are wonderful birds whose language and family system are very sophisticated."

She reminded the audience in the Geneva Room that in Native American tradition, crows are considered "noble birds" who are messengers from the spirit realm.

Other panelists that evening included Kevin McGowan of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Gordon Eddington, Geneva's director of public works; William Czaplak, Geneva city safety officer; and Auburn resident Rita Sarnicola, founder of Citizens Respectful of Wildlife (CROW), who talked about the potential tourism aspect.

Deutschlander, a member of the faculty since 2002, holds a B.S. from SUNY-Geneseo and his Ph.D. from Indiana University. He is researching animal migration and sensory biology: investigating how animals use a variety of cues for finding their way and how birds sense and use visual cues in the sky for migration. He has traveled to Australia, British Columbia, and Trinidad and Tobago as part of his work.

Hess, who joined the faculty in 2005, holds a B.A. in English from SUNY-Buffalo, an M.A. in American history from Michigan State University, and is currently a Ph.D. student at the University at Buffalo. Her research interests include Native American history and literature, Black history and literature, film, 19th Century America,
Women's History and Oral History.

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