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Valentina Gómez-Bahamón

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Valentina_Gomez-Bahamon
4070-C Derring Hall (MC 0406)
926 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Major Field of Interest

Evolutionary ecology

Current Research

Our lab integrates behavioral studies in the wild with genomic, phenotypic, biomechanical, and biogeographic analyses, to address questions about the evolution of animal behavior, its role in generating morphological diversity, and the origin and persistence of species. Our primary study system is birds in South America.  

  • 2024 - present: Assistant Professor of Biology, Virginia Tech
  • 2021-2024: Eberly Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University
  • 2021: Ph.D., Ecology and Evolution, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • 2015: M.S., Biology, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá, Colombia
  • 2009: B.S., Biology, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá, Colombia
  • 2024: Early Career Investigator Award, American Society of Naturalists
  • 2021: Eberly Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University
  • 2020: Best Student Oral Presentation Award from the Association of Field Ornithologists at the VII North American Ornithological Conference
  • 2020: Armour Graduate Student Fellowship, The Field Museum at Chicago.                  
  • 2015: Best Student Talk at the X Neotropical Ornithology Conference
  • 2013: Best Graduate Student Talk at the Colombian IV Ornithological Conference