Education
B.S. in Biology, Wake Forest University (1998)
M.A. in Biology, College of William & Mary (2004)
M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University (2008)
Ph.D. candidate in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton
University (current)

Background & Research Interests
Broadly, my research interests include population, community, and behavioral ecology. My first practical exposure to these topics came while employed as a field technician from 2000-04 at the Center for Conservation Biology. During my years at the Center, I took part in several studies working with a range of avian species and ecosystems throughout Virginia and North Carolina.

These experiences in applying principles of ecological theory to conservation-oriented field studies led to my graduate research at the College William & Mary with Dr. Bryan Watts.  My thesis project examined the factors influencing bald eagle nest distribution in the lower Chesapeake Bay watershed.  By combining a video-monitoring approach of nest activities with direct measurements of nestling growth, I was able to determine where along the Bay's shoreline the eagles were most successful at meeting the high energetic demands of brood rearing.  Interestingly, these areas did not correspond to regions where nest density was greatest - an important finding from both ecological and conservation perspectives.

After earning my Master's degree, I came to Princeton University in 2004 to work as a research technician in Dr. Jeanne Altmann's lab. As the database manager for the Amboseli Baboon Research Project, I became interested in using GIS technology to examine the spatial ecology of wild savannah baboons. Now enrolled as a Ph.D. student in Princeton's Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, my graduate research is focused on further developing this interest. Working with the Amboseli Baboon Research Project, I am examining temporal landscape partitioning among neighboring wild baboon social groups and the role of group-level social dominance hierarchies in mediating this partitioning.

Graduate Advisor
Dr. Jeanne Altmann - Eugene Higgins Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Peer-reviewed Publications
Markham AC, Alberts SC, Altmann JA. In press. Intergroup conflict: Ecological predictors of winning and consequences of defeat in a wild primate population. Animal Behaviour.

Markham AC, Gesquiere LR, Bellenger J-P, Alberts SC, Altmann J. 2011. White monkey syndrome and presumptive copper deficiency in wild savannah baboons. American Journal of Primatology 73:1160-1168. [Download PDF]

Markham AC, Altmann J. 2008. Remote monitoring of primates using automated GPS technology in open habitats. American Journal of Primatology 70:495-499. [Download PDF]

Markham AC, Watts BD. 2008. The influence of salinity on provisioning rates and nestling growth in bald eagles in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Condor 110:183-187. [Download PDF]

Markham AC, Watts BD. 2008. The influence of salinity on the diet of nesting bald eagles in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Journal of Raptor Research 42:99-109. [Download PDF]

Viverette CB, Garman C, McIninch SP, Markham AC, Watts BD, Macko SA. 2007. Finfish-waterbird trophic interactions in tidal freshwater tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Waterbirds 30 (Special Publication 1):51-62. [Download PDF]

Markham AC, Watts BD. 2007. Documentation of infanticide and cannibalism in bald eagles. Journal of Raptor Research 41:41-44. [Download PDF]

Mitchell JC, Markham AC, Watts BD. 2006. Kinosternom subrubrum subrubrum (eastern mud turtle) predator escape. Herpetological Review 37:216-217. [Download PDF]

Watts BD, Markham AC, Byrd MA. 2006. Salinity and population parameters of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Auk 123:393-404. [Download PDF]