Pursuing a Remarkable Thesis - Lindsay Azoulay
When Lindsay Azoulay decided that completing a thesis research will gain her the skills and experience she wanted, she embarked on a remarkable journey. Bats would be very thankful. We were impressed as well.
How does communication develop when we are young? How do we learn to communicate? Especially though this intricate system of vocal sounds that we call a language.
And how does it evolve in other mammals? Say, take bats for example. Yes, let's look at bats. Particularly the Egyptian Fruit Bat which happens to be the most common species found in Israel. how does it learn to communicate?
This is the intriguing topic that Lindsay Azoulay, an M.A. graduate at the international track has chosen to study in her thesis research. The purpose - get to the bottom of understanding the factors that impact vocal learning and the developemt of communication and understanding.
With continued experiments and observation atthe Tel Aviv University Zoological Garden’s Bat Lab, Lindsay had studied the development of baby bats, studying their learning of bat sounds and taking note how this learning process affects the social structure and the communication of bats.
Every thesis research at the Porter school has to be multi-disciplinary, directed by at least two mentors from different fields. Lindsay's research was mentored by Prof. Yossi Yovel, a senior researcher at the Department of Zoology at Tel-Aviv University and Dr. Rodrigo Medellin, a world-renowned specialist of bats, from the Institute of Ecology , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City.
The results of this study can be useful for this species’ conservation in Israel, especially in the face of urban development. If you are so curious to learn what has Lindsay found, you will need to read through her thesis dissertation. We will not provide any spoilers.
Lindsay noted that she decided to apply for the thesis track because she believed it is the only way to receive the education and skills she desired. She began the previous school year without any semblance of an idea about where her interests fell and then become confidently aware that it belongs in the fields of ecology and/or zoology. Lindsay said she believe that forcing doors open in these fields will require the experience and knowledge that can only be gained through completing a thesis.
She chose to study bats because she felt that they are vastly underappreciated both globally and in Israel. “Being that Israel is such a large hub for these creatures, it was obvious to me as soon as I found the Bat Lab at Tel Aviv University that this is where I belonged. I am certain that with the combination of research experience in the Bat Lab and my education from Porter, I will have all of the necessary skills to excel in the fields I have finally recognized as my own”.
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