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Curriculum Vitae
Degrees
Harvard College, A.B. in Biology, 1956
Cornell University, PhD in Zoology, 1959
Professional Positions
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Cornell, 1956-58
Research Fellow in Biology, Harvard University, 1959-61
Assistant Professor of Applied Biology in the Division of Engineering and Applied Physics, Harvard Univ., 1961-65
Director, Elementary Science Study, Education Development Center, 1965-67
Assistant Professor of Biology, Tufts University, 1965-67
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1967-74
Assistant to the Academic Vice-President, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1967-68
Chairman, Department of Cellular and Comparative Biology, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1970-76
Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1974-1981
Professor of Biology, Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, Division of Biological Sciences, Cornell University, 1981-2008
Executive Director, Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University 1981-1992
Louis Aggasiz Fuertes Director, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 1992-1995
Director, Division of Biological Sciences, Cornell, 1998-99
Chair, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, 1999-2001
Secretary and Associate Dean of the University Faculty, 2000-2003, 2008
Dean of the University Faculty, 2003-2008
Experience in Education
Assistant Producer and Photographer, "Discovery": a half-hour, weekly series on natural history produced at WGBH, Boston for National Educational Television. Both the series and I won a Sylvania award, 1955-57
Producer and Project Director, "Exploring Nature" a series of 30, half-hour programs on basic biology designed for in-school use in elementary schools. It was distributed nationally; 1959-61.
Member of the Board of Trustees and Vice President, Children's Museum of Boston. During my tenure we revitalized the museum and hired a new Director; 1960-67.
Elementary School Science Study. Initially working with a group largely drawn from the PSSC physics course, we formed a group to try to improve the teaching of science in elementary schools. I worked half-time on the project from 1960-65; was a member of the steering committee 1960-67; and was project director, 1965-67.
Member, Committee on Education, American Institute of Biological Sciences, 1967-70.
Consultant to Michael Ambrosino at WGBH, Boston for the initiation of "NOVA". Prepared program, "Bird Brain" and Co-Produced program on bird song, "Why do birds sing?" 1971-74.
Director of Content Research, Consultant, Member of Advisory Committee, 3,2,1 Contact; Children's Television Workshop. 1978-89.
Member, Panel on Informal Science Education, National Science Foundation, 1989-1994
Vice President, Sciencenter, Ithaca, NY 1995-1999
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sciencenter, 1999-2001
Professional Organizations
AAAS; Amer. Ornithologist's Union (elected); Animal Behavior Socienty; Sigma XI;Society for Experimental Biology; Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft (korrespondierendes Mitglied); New York Zoological Society (Scientific Fellow); Royal Institute of Navigation (Fellow).
Cornell Committees
(1999-2000): Member, University Faculty Committee, Local Research Advisory Committee.
Consultant To
Creative Playthings; African Science Study; Elementary Science and Math Study; Webster College; Environmental Protection Agency (solar powered satellite); WGBH-TV; Office of Naval Research (Project Sanguine); Children's Television Workshop; National Geographic Magazine; Equitable Environmental Health; State of New Jersey, member, Higher Education Panel; Education Development Center, Research for Better Schools; Santa Rita Technology; Argonne National Laboratory; IIT Research Institute; Kenetech Windpower; Niagra Mohawk Power Co.
Grant Support
Office of Naval Research, 1957, Spider Vibration Receptors $ 7,000
Quartermaster Corps, 1959, Sensitive Biological Systems 30,000
U.S. Office of Education, 1959, "Exploring Nature" TV Program 70,000
Office of Naval Research, 1961, Spider Vibration Receptor 6,000
U. S. Public Health Service, 1961, Health Education Research 45,000
National Science Foundation, 1964, Bird Navigation 38,000
National Science Foundation, 1965, Avian Orientation 13,000
National Science Foundation, 1965, Elementary School Science 1,500,000
National Science Foundation, 1966, Pigeon Navigation 38,000
National Science Foundation, 1967, Pigeon Navigation 10,000
National Geographic Society, 1968, Pigeon Project 10,980
National Geographic Society, 1969, Pigeon Project 11,500
National Institutes of Health, 1969, Pigeon Navigation 62,000
National Institutes of Health, 1972, Pigeon Navigation 64,000
National Institutes of Health, 1975, Pigeon Navigation 40,000
National Geographic Society, 1975, Dolphin Behavior 4,170
U. S. Forest Service, 1974, Wolf Communication and Ecology 3,200
National Geographic Society, 1976, Vocalizations of Right Whales 5,854
National Science Foundation, 1978-81, Pigeon Orientation 89,000
National Geographic Society, 1982, Pigeons at Gravity Anomalies 10,000
National Institutes of Health, 1980-83, Magnetic Detection 96,000
National Science Foundation, 1981-83, Avian Orientation 115,000
National Science Foundation, 1983-85, Avian Orientation 114,249
National Science Foundation, 1985-88, Avian Orientation 194,020
Whitehall Foundation, 1989, Avian orientation and communication 48,000
National Science Foundation, 1990, Public Participation in Ornithology 850,000
National Science Foundation, 1995, Supplement for Pigeons 55,000
National Science Foundation, 1995, FeederWatch in Schools 950,000
National Science Foundation, 2003, Experimental Analysis Loon Territory 385,000 National Science Foundation, 2007 Long Term Investigation of territorial Behavior and population dynamics in the Common Loon 444,359
Courses Taught
Harvard: Biology for Engineers
Freshman Seminar in Elementary School Science
Biology 2
Tufts: General Physiology
Animal Behavior
SUNY: CED510 Perspectives in Molecular Biology
CED511 Perspectives in Animal Behavior
Bio 542 Principles of Animal Behavior
Bio382 Animal Behavior
Bio152 Adaptation and Evolution
Bio544 Laboratory in Neurophysiology
Bio203 Laboratory in Physiology
Bio182 Animal Physiology
Cornell: Bio221 Animal Behavior (Participant)
Bio420 Animal Orientation and Navigation
Bio420 Bird Song
BioG 101-102 Introductory Biology for Majors
Graduate Students and Thesis Titles
Martin Michener, Pigeon Orientation, PhD, Harvard, 1965
William Rowland, Courtship of three species of sticklebacks, PhD, SUSB, 1968
Douglas Smith, Role of epaulets of Red-Wing Blackbird. PhD, SUSB, 1971
Fred Harrington, Role of Howling in Wolves, PhD, SUSB, 1975
Bernd Wursig, Behavior of Dusky Dolphin, PhD, SUSB, 1978
Gretchen Smith, Lyriform Organ in Spiders, MA, SUSB, 1977
Scott McMullen, Foraging Behavior in Ants, MA, SUSB, 1977
Chistopher Clark, Vocalizations and Behavior of Southern Right Whale, PhD, SUSB, 1981
John N. Mager, What information is communicated by the territorial ‘Yodel’ of male common Loons, Gavia immer? Cornell University, 2005
Publications
A number of papers on various topics in animal behavior and physiology; the following are representative:
Dane, B. Walcott, C. and W. Drury. 1959 The Form and Duration of the Display Actions of the Goldeneye (Bucehpala clangula). Behavior XIV:265-281.
Walcott, C. and W.G. Van der Kloot. 1959, The physiology of the spider vibration receptor. J. Exp. Zool. 14: 191-244.
Littauer, R. and C. Walcott. 1959 Pulse-Height Analyzer for Neurophysiological Applications. Rev. Sci. Instr. 30:1102-1106.
Salpeter, M. and C. Walcott. 1960. An electron microscopic study of a vibration receptor in the spider. Exp. Neurology 2: 232-250.
Walcott, C. 1963. The effect of the web on vibration sensitivity in the spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum. J. Exp. Biol. 40: 595-611.
Williams, C., Adkisson, P. and C. Walcott 1965 Physiology of Insect Diapause XV The Transmission of Photoperiod Signals to the Brain of the Oak Silkworm, Antherea pernyi. Biol. Bull. 128:497-507.
Walcott, C. 1969 A Spider's Vibration Receptor: Its Anatomy and Physiology. Am. Zoologist 9:133-144.
The following papers deal with the problem of bird orientation. I have omitted abstracts, papers addressed to a general audience, and short early papers.
Michener,M.C. and C. Walcott. 1966 Navigation of Single Homing Pigeons: Airplane Observations by Radio Tracking. Science 154:410-413.
Michener, M. C. and C. Walcott. 1967 Homing of single pigeons-analysis of tracks. J. Exp. Biol. 47: 99-131.
Miselis, R. and C. Walcott. 1970 Locomotor activity rhythms in homing pigeons, Columba livia. Animal Behavior, 18: 544-561.
Walcott, C. and M.C. Michener. 1971 Sun navigation in homing pigeons: attempts to shift sun coordinates. J. Exp. Biol. 5-4: 291-316.
Walcott, C., 1972 The navigation of homing pigeons - Do they use sun navigation? In Animal Orientation and Navigation, S.R. Galler, K. Schmidt-Koenig, G.J. Jacobs and R.E. Belleville, eds. U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Walcott, C. and K. Schmidt-Koenig. 1973 The effect on pigeon homing of anesthesia during displacement. Auk 90: 281-286.
Schmidt-Koenig, K. and C. Walcott. 1973 Flugwege und Verbleib von Brieftauben mit getrubten Haftschalen. Naturwissenschaften 60:108-109.
Walcott, C. and R.P. Green. 1974 Orientation of homing pigeons altered by a change in the direction of an applied magnetic field. Science 184: 180182.
Walcott, C. 1974 The homing of pigeons. Amer. Sci. 62: 542-552.
Larkin, R. P., Torre-Bueno, J., Griffin, D. R., C. Walcott. 1975 Reactions of Migrating Birds to Lights and Aircraft. Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. 72:1994-1996.
Walcott, C. 1977 Magnetic fields and the orientation of pigeons under sun. J. Exp. Biol. 70: 105-124
Schmidt-Koenig, K. and C. Walcott. 1978 Tracks of homing pigeons wearing frosted lenses. Animal Behavior 26: 480-486.
Walcott, C. 1978 Anomalies in the earth's magnetic field increase the scatter of pigeon's vanishing bearings. In Animal Migration, Navigation and Homing, K. Schmidt-Koenig and W. T. Keeton, eds. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, p. 14315.
Walcott, C., J.L. Gould and J. Kirschvink. 1979 Pigeons have magnets. Science 205: 1027-1029.
Walcott, C. 1980 Homing pigeon vanishing bearings at magnetic anomalies are not altered by bar magnets. J. Exp. Biol. 86: 349-352.
Walcott, C. 1980 Magnetic orientation in homing pigeons. IEEE Trans. Magnetics, Vol. Mag-16, #5, p 1008-1013.
Walcott, C. 1980 Effects of magnetic fields on pigeon orientation. Proc. XVII International Ornithological Congress p 588-592.
Walcott, C. 1982 Is there Evidence for a magnetic map in homing pigeons? In: Avian Navigation (F. Papi and H. G. Walraff eds.) SpringerVerlag, Berlin. p 99-108.
Walcott, B. and C. Walcott 1982 A Search for Magnetic Field Receptors in Animals. In: Avian Navigation (F. Papi and H. G. Wallraff, eds.) Springer-Verlag, Berlin. P 338-343.
Walcott, C. and A.J. Lednor 1983 Bird Navigation. in: Perspectives in Ornithology ed. by A. Brush and G.A. Clark,jr. Cambridge University Press, New York p 513-541.
Lednor, A. J. and C. Walcott 1983 Homing pigeon navigation: the effects of in-flight exposure to a varying magnetic field. Comp. Biochem. and Physiol. 76A p 665-671.
Lednor, A. J. and C. Walcott 1984 The Orientation of Pigeons at Gravity Anomalies. J. Exp. Biol. 111 p 259-263.
Lednor, A. J. and C. Walcott, 1988 Orientation of pigeons at magnetic anomalies: The effects of experience. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 22:3-8.
Walcott, C. 1986 Navigation and Homing. in The Collins Encyclopedia of Animal Behaviour, ed. by Peter J. B. Slater. Equinox, London pp 56-59.
Walcott, C. 1986 A review of Magnetic Effects on Homing Pigeon Orientation, in Biophysical Effects of Steady Magnetic Fields, ed by G. Maret, N. Boccara and J. Kiepenheuer, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, pp. 146-147.
Walcott, C., J. L. Gould, and A. J. Lednor. 1988, Homing of magnetized and demagnetized pigeons. J. Exp. Biol. 134:27-41.
Wiltschko, W., Wiltschko, R. and C. Walcott. 1987 Pigeon Homing: Different Effects of Olfactory Deprivation in Different Countries. Beh. Ecol. Sociobiol. 21:333-342.
Walcott, C. 1988 Homing in Pigeons: Are Differences in Experimental Results due to Different Home-Loft Environments? in Acta XIX Congngressus Internationalis Ornithologici ed by Henri Ouellet, Univ. of Ottawa, Nat'l Museum pp. 305-308.
Walcott, Charles and A. Irene Brown. 1989 The Disorientation of Pigeons at Jersey Hill. In: Orientation and Navigation: Birds, Humans and other Animals, Royal Institute of Navigation, Cardiff, England 1989.
Walcott, Charles. 1991 Magnetic Maps in Pigeons. in Orientation in Birds ed by P. Berthold Birkhauser Verlag, pp 38-51.
Walcott, Charles. 1992 Pigeons at magnetic anomalies: the effects of loft location. J. exp. Bio. 170: 127-141.
Walcott, Charles. 1996 Pigeon Homing: Observations, Experiments and Confusions. J. exp. Biol. 199:21-27.
Walcott, C., Evers, D, Froehler, M. and A. Krakauer, 1999, Individuality in “Yodel” calls recorded from a banded population of Common Loons, Gavia immer. Bioacoustics 10: 101-114.
Walcott, C. and David Evers 2000, Loon Vocal Tagging: An Evaluation of its Feasibility Using a Banded Population of Loons. In McIntyre, J.W. and D.C. Evers (eds.). 2000 Loons: Old history and new findings. Proceedings of a Symposium from the 1997 meeting, American Ornithologists' Union. North American Loon Fund, Holderness, N.H.
Walcott, C. 2005. Multi-modal Orientation Cues in Homing Pigeons. Integr. Comp. Biol. 45:574-581.
Walcott, C. Mager, J and W. Piper. 2006. Changing Territories, Changing Tunes: male loons, Gavia immer, change their vocalizations when they change territories. Animal Behaviour 71: 673-683.
Piper, W.H., Walcott, C., Mager, J.H., Perala M., Tischler K.B., Harrington E., Turcotte A.J., Schwabenlander M. and N. Banfield. 2006 Prospecting in a solitary breeder: chick production elicits territorial intrusions in common loons. Behavioral Ecology 17: 881-888.
Mager, J.N., III, Walcott, C., Piper, W. 2007 Male common loons, Gavia immer, communicate body mass and condition through dominant frequencies of territorial yodels. Animal Behaviour 73:683-690.
Mager, J. N., Walcott, C., and Evers, D. 2007 Macrogeographic variation in body size and territorial vocalizations of male Common Loons (Gavia immer). Waterbirds 30 (1): 64-72.
Piper, W.H, Walcott, C., Mager, J.H., Spilker, F.J. 2007 Nestsite selection by male loons leads to sex-biased site familiarity. J. Animal Ecology 77: 205-210.
Mager, J.H., Walcott, C. Piper, W.H. 2007 Nest platforms increase aggressive behavior in common loons. Naturwisseschaften. 95: 141-147.
Piper, W.H., Walcott, C., Mager, J.H. Spilker, F. J. 2008 Fatal battles in common loons: a preliminary analysis. Animal Behavior 75: 1109-1115.
Articles addressed to a popular audience:
Walcott, C. 1972 Bird Navigation. Natural History 81: 32-43.
Walcott, C. 1973 Current Research in Pigeon Navigation Racing Pigeon Bulletin 27: 5-15.
Walcott, C. 1974 Pigeons Home by Smell? Amer. Racing Pigeon News, Jan 1974.
Walcott, C. 1974 Pigeon Chasing by Twin Comanche. AOPA Pilot 17: 34-36.
Walcott, C. 1982 Homing with Map and Compass The Living Bird Quarterly 1: 8-11.
Walcott, C. 1983 Bird Orientation and the Earth's Magnetic Field. Point Reyes Bird Observatory Newsletter, #61 pp.8-10.
Walcott, C. 1984 Mysteries of Migration. The Conservationist 38: 24-31.
Walcott, C. 1986 Navigation and Homing. in The Collins Encyclopedia of Animal Behaviour, ed. by Peter J. B. Slater. Equinox, London pp 56-59.
Walcott, C. 1987 Bird Navigation. in Encyclopedia of Neuroscience ed by George Adelman, Birkhauser, Boston. pp 131-132.
Walcott, C. 1989 Show Me the Way to Go Home. Natural History Magazine, November 1989 pp 40-46.
Walcott, C. 1990 The Mystery of Jersey Hill and Other Stories. BirdScope 4:1-3.
Walcott, C. 1995 Tilting at Windmills. Living Bird 14: 11-15.
Walcott, C. 2000 Loony Tunes, Seney National Wildlife Refuge Newsletter.
Several papers on education, for example:
Walcott, C. 1960 Elementary School Biology via Television. Amer. Biol. Teacher 22: 533-536.
Morrison, P. and C. Walcott. Enlightened Opportunism. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 1: 48-53.
Walcott, C. 1963 Biology in the Elementary School. NABT News, VII: 1-4.
Walcott, C. 1967 Elementary School Biology. Amer. Biol. Teacher 29: 180-184.
Walcott, C. 1980 3-2-1 Contact's Approach to Science Education. CTW International Research Notes, No. 3 p 7-9.
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