Hey there!
The Princeton Birding Society is committed to making birds accessible to all, regardless of skill level or experience. We have weekly alternating club meetings and bird walks. At club meetings, we learn everything from bird identification to migration patterns. As for bird walks, some of our favorite locations are the towpath and the Institute Woods near campus, and we often take longer trips to locations like Cape May and Sandy Hook!
Everyone is welcome to join, and we can’t wait to watch birds with you.
This organization is open to all Princeton University students interested in supporting our organization’s mission, regardless of identity, such as race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, or other protected characteristics.
Meet our officers 🪶
PRESIDENT
Kade Jackson
Hi everyone! My name is Kade Jackson, and I am a current freshman Ecology and Evolutionary Biology student here at Princeton. I have been birding for three years now and am steadily working towards 1000 species on my life list. On campus, I am also involved in the Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, where I play the oboe and English horn! I hope to become either a field ecologist or an astrobiologist, and I researched hydrogen-based photosynthesis and theoretical organismal anatomy in high school. I am so excited to lead this amazing organization!
GRAD PRESIDENT
Irene Sha
I am currently a Ph.D. student in my third year studying Mechanical Engineering! I’m from California–more specifically I spent half my life in San Diego and the other half in the Bay Area. I’ve always loved birds from when I was in 3rd grade (my gateway bird was a Wood Duck since I had to write a report about it), but I didn’t really grow my full appreciation until I moved to Princeton! I am especially a fan of the migration season here and the warblers that drop by. I’ve been birding for about 4 years now, and I know there’s still a ton out there I haven’t seen. A fun fact is that I wrote one of my undergrad admissions essays about my ability to mimic crow caws (seems like it worked because I studied there!). I’m out of practice now but if you ever run into me I would be happy to attempt a caw.
TREASURER
Alex Frias
Hi! I’m Alex Frias, the new treasurer. I am a first year (class of 2028) and my intended major is Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. I am Dominican-American, originally from the Bronx, but now I live in South Florida. I have loved birding since I was a young child, and am incredibly excited to bird here alongside our members. My favorite birding places I have been to are the Dominican Republic, the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya, and Monterey Bay.
Vice President for Trips
Karen Zhang
Hi! I’m Karen, a freshman from Albuquerque, New Mexico studying electrical & computer engineering. My journey into birding began in 7th grade during my science class’s bird unit and has since led me on trips from observing my high school’s resident Great-horned Owls in the middle of a parking lot to venturing out on overnight trips to the Melrose Woods. When I’m not sitting in the middle of a parking lot trying to snap photos of the owls, you can find me scurrying around Nassau for boba from MTea and snacks from Maruichi.
Vice President for Collision Monitoring
Joseph Uglialoro
My name is Joe Uglialoro, and I’m a SPIA major in the Class of 2027! I am a lifelong birder from New Jersey, and can be found spending much of my time at local hotspots like Sandy Hook and Cape May. Some of my favorite birding experiences have taken place out west, where I have been lucky enough to track down incredible species like the Elegant Trogon and Pine Grosbeak. I have researched Broad-tailed Hummingbirds and Saltmarsh Sparrows in the past, and am currently the student lead on Princeton’s bird collision monitoring project.
Vice President for Communications
Christal Chen
Hi! I’m Christal Chen ’28, and I’m from Austin, TX. I’m an ECE student interested in robotics, computer science, and sustainable energy. I became interested in birding in my junior year of high school, and I enjoy going on walks and discovering new birds! My other interests include art, dance, and watching cdramas. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at PBS events!
Past Presidents
President Emeritus
Patrick Newcombe ’25
Patrick Newcombe is an avid birder, wildlife photographer, and conservationist, as well as a student of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. With the Birding Society, he won a seed grant from the Office of Sustainability to hire students to expand the collision monitoring initiative, which he and others have continued to carry out in partnership with the Stoddard Lab, Council on Science & Technology, and Office of Sustainability. He also made it his goal to expand outreach efforts on and off campus. Patrick is always happy to support the Birding Society or talk to birders thinking about coming to Princeton.
President Emeritus & Co-Founder
Claire Wayner ’22
Claire started watching birds at the age of 11 and has never looked back. She is elated to share her love of birds with anyone she meets and is already looking forward to the Birding Society’s next trip. Outside of birding, Claire participates in various climate and environmental activism events. She is an ecology major in spirit but an environmental engineering major in reality.