Science in Motion

_______________2025

Ray C. Anderson Fellowship

University of Minnesota

• Awarded to graduate students conducting genetics-related research for their dissertation.

_______________2021

Dayton Bell Museum Fund

Bell Museum

• Awarded to graduate students conducting research in the field of natural history.

Certificate of Commendation for Undergraduate Research

Sri Lanka Natural History Society

• Recognized for outstanding undergraduate research in zoology.

Best Oral Presenter

International Forestry and Environment Symposium

• Awarded for the best oral presentation: Wet climate drives melanistic giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura melanochora) in the wet zone of Sri Lanka.

_______________2020

Gulamhusein A.J. Noorbhai Gold Medal

University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2020

• Awarded for the best undergraduate research project in zoology.

_______________2026

EEB Research Award

University of Minnesota

• Awarded to support graduate-level technical training related to the dissertation research project

_______________2025

EEB Travel and Tuition Award

University of Minnesota

• Awarded to support graduate-level professional training with a focus on teaching development.

EEB Spring Research Funding

University of Minnesota

• Awarded to support the professional development and research activities of graduate students.

_______________2017

Keertisinghe Memorial Award

University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

• Awarded for achieving the highest academic results in zoology in the B.Sc. degree program.

Gulamhusein A.J. Noorbhai Scholarship

University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

• Scholarship awarded to the top-performing student entering the Zoology honors degree program.

Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota | 2021-2022

• Conducted craniological measurements on Peromyscus species to investigate morphological variation.

• Extracted and integrated morphological records from GBIF, Arctos, VertNet, and local museum databases.

• Manually georeferenced over 500 Ratufa specimens housed in North American natural history collections.

• Managed and cleaned large-scale specimen datasets for downstream ecological and evolutionary analyses.

National Museum of Sri Lanka | 2019

• Measured skin coloration and craniological traits from Ratufa macroura specimens for comparative morphological research.

• Digitized and extracted data from museum directories and specimen catalogs.

Undergraduate Research Mentor

Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, UMN | Fall 2024 – Spring 2025

• Mentored Brooklyn Lennes, a senior majoring in EEB, on her research project focusing on the Spatial Distribution and Biogeography of Mustelids. Held weekly meetings, guided her in using natural history archives, and assisted with data management, cleaning, and spatial visualization.

Undergraduate Research Proposal Reviewer

College of Biological Sciences, UMN | 2025

• Reviewed proposals submitted to the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), which provides semester-long funding for student-led research projects.

_______________2026

Project Management 010

Graduate School, UMN

• Learned core project management concepts through hands-on practice and gained experience with Work Breakdown Structures, project scheduling (including critical path and triple constraints), and the difference between cost estimating and budgeting. See Credentials: Maroon Badge, Gold Badge

Working With Zebrafish (Danio rerio) in Research Settings

CITI Program

• Learned the principles of working with zebrafish in research settings, explored their biology, husbandry, water quality management, handling, anesthesia, and euthanasia, and gained an understanding of regulatory and safety considerations for their ethical use in research. See Credentials

Working With Fish in Research Settings

CITI Program

• Learned the principles of working with fish in research settings, explored their biology, humane care standards, handling, anesthesia, surgery, and euthanasia, and completed all modules with a focus on minimizing pain and distress. See Credentials

Animal Use Tutorial

Office of VP for Research, UMN

• Learnt basics about the ethical treatment of animals, what to know about doing research at the University of Minnesota, and training information specific to biomedical, agricultural, or wildlife research.

ROHP Introductory Training

University Health and Safety, UMN

• Gained knowledge about zoonotic diseases, tetanus, and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as animal allergens. Explored symptoms and basic preventative measures. 

_______________2025

Best Foot Forward! Skills for Presenting Yourself & Your Research

Graduate School, UMN

• Learned and developed skills to present myself and my research clearly, persuasively, and confidently by strengthening research storytelling, slide design, interview communication, and job-talk preparation through workshops, peer reflection, and engagement with the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. See credentials

Research Presentation as Storytelling

Graduate School, UMN

• Through lectures and hands-on activities, I learned how to approach research presentations as storytelling. I can now think about my presentations in terms of narrative, apply storytelling principles to my research, and craft talks that are engaging and story-driven. See credentials

Fundamentals for Using Hyperspectral and Thermal NASA Earth Observation Data

NASA

• Learnt the fundamentals of hyperspectral and thermal imaging, and explored how to access, visualize, and apply VSWIR and TIR datasets for Earth science research using cloud-based tools.

Integrating Mechanisms in Biogeography with Microclimate and Biophysical Models

International Biogeography Society

• Worked through the full pipeline of modeling a terrestrial species’ spatial distribution using mechanistic biogeography software and microclimate models.

Interactive Maps in R

Physalia Courses

• Gained hands-on experience in creating interactive, publication-ready maps using R.

High-Performance Computing Use Badge

Minnesota Supercomputing Institute

• Learned how to connect to remote cyberinfrastructure, schedule compute jobs on shared clusters, and operate within a command-line interface for large-scale computing. See credentials

Phylogenetic Comparative Methods in R

Physalia Courses

• Explored how to generate ultrametric phylogenies and apply phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate trait and lineage evolution using R.

Species Distribution Modeling in R with the sdm Package

International Biogeography Society

• Trained in the SDM framework for fitting correlative, mechanistic, and agent-based species distribution models at individual and community scales.

Using Microclimate Data and Models for Ecological Implications

International Biogeography Society

• Trained in extracting and modeling microclimate data to mechanistically predict the thermal environment of terrestrial mammals using ecological modeling tools in R.

_______________2024

GIS and Spatial Analysis Workshop

SEEDS Program, Ecological Society of America

• A five-day hands-on workshop focused on geospatial tools and spatial data applications in ecological research.

_______________2021

Writing in the Sciences

Stanford University

• Learned to become more effective writers through practical examples and exercises focused on clarity, structure, and efficiency. Topics included principles of good writing, strategies for faster writing with less anxiety, scientific manuscript formats, peer review, grant writing, ethics in publishing, and writing for general audiences. See Credentials

_______________2019

Taxonomy and Phylogeny

Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science

• Introduced to taxonomic principles across taxa and approaches to reconstructing phylogenies in evolutionary biology.

_______________2018

National Bird Ringing Program — Mannar Island, Sri Lanka

• Participated in field-based bird banding and monitoring efforts as part of a national-scale avian research initiative.

_______________2017

Beginners’ Workshop for Birding — Sinharaja Rainforest, Sri Lanka

• Introduced to tropical bird identification, behavioral observation, and fundamental ornithological field techniques during a five-day rainforest immersion.

Bird Study Field Techniques Workshop — Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL), Rajarata University

• A four-day workshop on avian field research methods, data recording, and survey design.

The best training I received as a field biologist was during my undergraduate years at the University of Colombo. From tropical rainforests to marine national parks, I gained hands-on experience across diverse landscapes in Sri Lanka—conducting wildlife surveys, species identification, and behavioral observations under the guidance of incredible mentors. I learned not only field techniques but also how to navigate challenges, adapt on the go, and respect the unpredictability of the wild—including what to do, and what not to do. These experiences shaped me into a more grounded, resilient scientist and human being and left me with skills, stories, and life lessons that continue to guide my path.

_______________2016

ZL 1009 – Evolution and Biogeography

• Learned how to conduct field biodiversity surveys and species identification. 

• Conducted a butterfly diversity survey at Anawilundawa Wetland Sanctuary.

ZL 1010 – Animal Behavior

• Gained skills in behavioral observation and ethogram development. 

• Conducted behavioral analyses of elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.

_______________2017

ZL 2009 – Principles of Ecology

• Performed demographic analysis of invertebrates, determining sex ratios of crabs and mollusks in a selected site of Attaragoda Wetland.

• Learned wetland bird observation techniques, including constructing hides, identifying wetland bird species at Bundala National Park, and standard data recording methods.

_______________2018

ZL 3018 – Animal and Human Parasites

• Learned parasitological sampling and fecal analysis techniques. 

• Conducted fecal analysis on selected captive species at the National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka.

ZL 3069 – Fundamentals of Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management

• • Trained in mammal survey techniques, including direct (visual) and indirect (pellets, tracks, calls, signs) methods; conducted in Kumana National Park.

  • Learned stakeholder analysis for wildlife management, considering social and ecological needs of local communities; fieldwork held in Wasgamuwa National Park.

ZL 3071 – Animal Kingdom I

• Trained in insect sampling and identification methods. 

• Collected and surveyed dragonflies and damselflies in the Gilimale Forest Reserve.

ZL 3074 – Animal Kingdom II

• Learned methods for bird identification and observation of mixed-species foraging flocks in Sinharaja Rainforest.

• Trained in handling and identification of amphibians and snakes during fieldwork at Maduru Oya National Park.

_______________2019

ZL 4063 – Ornithology

• Learned mist-netting, biometric data collection, and temporal behavioral observations of birds in Sinharaja Rainforest.

• Studied nesting behavior of ground-nesting birds and mist-netting of woodland birds at Adam’s Bridge Marine National Park.

ZL 4065 – Wildlife Management

• Surveyed how animal abundance varies with human settlement patterns by comparing two trails (forest-covered and paved) along Adam’s Peak.

• Served as a Research Assistant (2018–2021) in a PhD project on avian migration in the Central Asian Flyway at the University of Colombo. Contributed to field research on migratory waders, including bird ringing, satellite tagging, and field data collection to study stopover dynamics and regional connectivity.

• Worked as a Research Assistant (2019–2020) on a PhD project investigating gene flow and vocal plasticity in the Dicrurus (drongo) species complex. Field responsibilities included mist-netting and bioacoustic recording for analyses of vocal divergence and hybridization across contact zones.