Our Team
Jin Bai
Jin Bai, project coordinator of City Bird, is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology program at NCSU and studies the drivers of urban bird diversity. He has extensive experience designing, coordinating, and assisting citizen science projects in the Triangle area, including organizing the Triangle Bird Count. Additionally, Jin is a board member of New Hope Audubon, a local non-profit chapter of the National Audubon Society covering Orange, Durham, and Chatham counties.
Alberto Valido
Alberto Valido, obtained a B.S. degree in Psychology from the University of Florida and is currently a Ph.D. student in Applied Developmental Science at the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Alberto has been a project coordinator since 2016 and has mentored over 30 research assistants and has coordinated operations for multiple federal grants. To date, he has published 53 peer-reviewed articles, 13 book chapters and 31 conference presentations. His expertise in education research, grant writing, and coordinating multiple federal grants brings a valuable set of skills to the leadership. Alberto has experience in mobile app development, graphic design, and web design.
Previous interns
Amala Ahmad
Amala Ahmad is the Bird-window Collisions Communications intern at UNC. She is a sophomore student from Raleigh, NC, studying business and minoring in sustainability studies and French. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and spending time outside.
Kristina Hefferle
Kristina Hefferle (she/her) is the Bird-Window Collisions Monitoring Intern at UNC. She is a senior undergraduate student from Denville, New Jersey, studying Biology and Anthropology, and is passionate about citizen science and wildlife conservation. In her free time, Kristina is a salamander enthusiast and enjoys camping with her friends.
Ashley Novak
Ashley (she/her) is the Bird-window Collisions Monitoring intern at UNC. She is a first-year undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill from Wake Forest, NC, where she is pursuing a double major in Economics as well as Environmental Studies with a focus on sustainability. In her free time, Ashley is an avid birdwatcher and music enthusiast who loves to go on hikes and museum visits.
Natalie Williams
Natalie Williams (she/her/hers) is a Communications Intern at City Bird from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a first-year undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill studying environmental science. Natalie has always had a passion for the environment, as she enjoys hiking, running, biking, and other outdoor activities. With her experience in graphic design and infographics, Natalie will use her skills to promote the mission of City Bird.