https://www.julia-monk.com/home daily 1.0 2024-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1567274350770-7RBY55D9GGVMW2S7QLH6/IMG_2715.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1559850218477-7F7QX3LXA7MJ1UFDXBLQ/228ebeb4-6a63-4f7d-aed5-9c292a0efcd7.JPG Home https://www.julia-monk.com/read-me daily 0.75 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1559854078126-NTCCQDWFL5LBRHNRSSCE/IMG_0867.JPG Read Me https://www.julia-monk.com/predator-prey-interactions-nutrient-cycling-1 daily 0.75 2024-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1559918499569-WOX2PAEH74U61FBJ4O6L/IMG_2879.jpg Research https://www.julia-monk.com/new-page-1 daily 0.75 2025-06-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1664398106995-3ZK36B8FWWVQF1VCPDD7/IMG_9518.jpg Teaching https://www.julia-monk.com/new-page-2 daily 0.75 2026-02-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1559918499569-WOX2PAEH74U61FBJ4O6L/IMG_2879.jpg Opportunities https://www.julia-monk.com/read-me-1 daily 0.75 2026-02-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1731620891653-UUSDUC4IC8KLKGZ9M5SK/IMG_5066.jpeg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/b1f9d655-dddc-495c-89ff-19662ae583c7/Julia+%231.jpg Team - Julia Monk Principal Investigator; Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Julia Monk (she/her/ella) is an ecologist whose research focuses on understanding the role that animals play in ecosystem functioning, particularly in the context of global change. Prior to NYU, Julia was a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management at the University of California - Berkeley (2022-2024) and received her PhD from the Yale School of the Environment (2022). She is originally from New York City, and her family is from Argentina; her research is largely rooted in these two places she calls home. Outside of work, you can find her hiking, cyanotype printing, and going on adventures with her dog. Email: j.monk [at] nyu.edu NYU Faculty Page: https://as.nyu.edu/faculty/julia-monk.html https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/e6093f69-2024-4853-8a11-10049dcbf022/Grace+Headshot.jpg Team - Grace McGuigan Junior Laboratory Associate Grace McGuigan is a post-baccalaureate researcher in the Monk Lab who supports multiple projects in the lab, including our research on urban pollinator connectivity and on the impacts of wildlife on soil carbon. Their prior research focused on physiological plasticity in grassland invertebrates. Grace received a B.A. in Environmental Studies at Northeastern University (2023), and is now furthering their research experience before pursuing a PhD. Specifically, Grace is interested in community and behavioral ecology in coastal and freshwater environments. They grew up in New York City and are excited to be back after spending five years in Boston. In their free time, Grace enjoys camping, playing soccer, and visiting their family in Maine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/e7f24e2c-6664-47ca-856e-4b2578e52b97/27042022-1330-00071+%281%29.jpeg Team - Luísa Genes Visiting PhD Student Luísa (she/her) is a conservation biologist from Brazil, currently a (finishing!) PhD candidate in the Dirzo Lab at Stanford University. Her research focuses on species interactions, wildlife conservation, species reintroductions, and rewilding as a means of restoring species interactions and ecosystems. In her PhD, she is studying how communities and plant-animal interactions reassemble through natural regeneration and trophic rewilding in Costa Rica and in Brazil. Her research is rooted in applied conservation, and she is also the Scientific Director of Refauna, a Brazilian conservation NGO that conducts science-based species reintroductions in the Atlantic Forest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/302ac8fa-00bc-4783-906c-7c7ad47555d7/Screenshot+2025-05-22+at+4.27.41+PM.jpg Team - Maximiliano Ayala Assistant Research Scientist Maximiliano Ayala (he/him) is a post-baccalaureate researcher with a focus on urban ecology and animal population modeling. He is working in the Monk and Roddy Labs to investigate how micro-green spaces affect pollinator habitat connectivity. Max would like to help reframe human perceptions of the importance of urban wildlife habitats. He first joined the lab as an NYU undergrad and has continued to develop his research projects as a lab associate post-graduation. Aside from research, he enjoys board games, community gardening, and trying to keep the peace in a household of 3 dogs and 1 mischievous cat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/302ac8fa-00bc-4783-906c-7c7ad47555d7/Screenshot+2025-05-22+at+4.27.41+PM.jpg Team - Micah Sagar Sustainability Undergraduate Research Assistant Micah Sagar is an undergraduate researcher studying how urban green spaces and landscape architecture impact avian biodiversity in New York City. She also assists with pollinator monitoring in the East Village and around NYU’s campus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/d464d707-2bb3-4a5c-b61d-d59424c527d2/779B3B7F-CE5C-4DC8-8E6C-4589CD0247DE.jpg Team - Willa Willa is responsible for team morale and making sure we achieve the appropriate balance between outdoor activity and naps. Willa splits her time between multiple lab groups in Environmental Studies, and is a frequent guest of the WATR-Lab at NYU Animal Studies. Her favorite foods are carrots and cucumbers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/302ac8fa-00bc-4783-906c-7c7ad47555d7/Screenshot+2025-05-22+at+4.27.41+PM.jpg Team - Neo Ng Sustainability Undergraduate Research Assistant Neo Ng is an undergraduate researcher who assists with pollinator monitoring in the East Village and around NYU’s campus. As the leader of NYU’s SEEDS chapter, Neo obtained a grant to build and maintain a native pollinator garden at NYU, and Neo is contributing to our project monitoring the effectiveness of that intervention. https://www.julia-monk.com/predator-prey-interactions-ecosystem-functioning-1 daily 0.75 2025-10-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1561054938487-FD2LFJ2ZMIDF9FJV9DDT/IMG_9228.jpg Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1567464081241-II23069RDSP9ID71ODZW/IMG_2430.jpg Research - Predator-prey interactions and ecosystem functioning https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/d995c48b-7d22-4eac-bb20-64fa850854ce/IMG_5208.jpeg Research - Global change from animals to ecosystems https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/1561053171497-AJL3Y24TEB4PUWRH6ONC/IMG_9856.jpg Research - Queer & feminist science approaches to the study of animal sex https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cb5e22ad7819e33997dd3a8/09edbc90-3532-4536-8f26-cdbbe04a277e/IMG_0770.jpg Research - Ecology & conservation for whole communities https://www.julia-monk.com/home-alt-bedford daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500612440-PGQSIY8KL9F7T5VIXQLO/chambers-2.jpg Home Alt A better world Starts with a choice Contact Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500503574-5BAPXZO9U06UV61P49UO/chambers1.jpg Home Alt Sustainability Starts with you Join Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500933384-LII4SRIPHFYOUFX0UCXC/chambers-4.jpg Home Alt A better world Starts with a choice Join Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390504287124-HQ8GNX1JCE22V047MSQ9/chambers-8.jpg Home Alt Preserve Nature Join Us