Wildlife major Elena Boughton has been selected as FNR’s Outstanding Junior for 2024-25. The Evansville,
Ind., native is the current secretary of the Purdue Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society (TWS) and also is involved in undergraduate research in the departments of Forestry and Natural Resources and Biological Sciences.
“I feel incredibly honored to be recognized as one of FNR's outstanding students of the year,” Boughton said. “With so many other dedicated and skilled individuals in my cohort, it feels surreal to be chosen as this year's Outstanding Junior. Being recognized as the representative of my class adds another level of significance to this award. It is a great privilege to be a part of such a strong group of future wildlife professionals, and I’m eager to continue working alongside them as we all strive to make a positive impact in our field.
“This award represents the invaluable support I’ve received from my peers, professors and advisors, who have all helped to influence my academic and personal journey. I also know that winning this award would not have been possible without the continuous support of my closest friends and family, who have constantly encouraged me to keep being the best version of myself while navigating through life's challenges. Looking forward, I am committed to representing my class with the same dedication that has guided me so far, and I am determined to continue positively contributing to wildlife research and conservation.”
Elena began working with wildlife as a high school student, acting as a ZooTeen Volunteer at Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Gardens. From 2017 to 2022, she assisted with summer camp and special events at the zoo. Along with guiding activities for young children, she handled animal ambassadors and presented information to the public about conservation.
Once she began attending classes at Purdue, Boughton continued to gain hands-on experience with wildlife
as a member of Dr. Barny Dunning’s bird banding lab, beginning in January 2023. In that role, she learned to set up equipment and demonstrated the process of bird banding to classes, interest groups and members of Purdue TWS. Over the past two years, she also has assisted students with bird handling and banding, while recording measurements for use in the U.S. Geological Survey national bird banding database.
In February 2024, Elena joined Dr. Esteban Fernandez-Juricic’s lab, studying avian behavior and visual ecology. As a research assistant, she has worked on various projects within the lab: measuring body angles of birds in flight with ImageJ, classifying oil droplets within images of avian photoreceptor cells and coding videos of duck behavior using ethograms and BORIS software.
As a member of Dr. Pat Zollner’s lab since September 2024, Elena has used autonomous recording units and AI software to obtain and analyze songbird calls. She has conducted a literature review and is currently in the process of writing a manuscript on occupancy modeling of Least Bell’s Vireos in southern California.
Since October 2024, Elena has served as a co-leader of the Northern Saw-Whet Owl banding station at
Purdue. After receiving training during the 2023 season, Boughton began co-leading the station, teaching volunteers how to use equipment and demonstrating proper banding procedures for both Northern Saw-Whet Owls and Eastern Screech Owls.
In January 2025, Elena joined the Indiana Department of Natural Resources flight crew under undergraduate researcher/now master’s student Emma Johnson in Dr. Pat Zollner’s lab. As a research assistant on a project, which uses drone and airplane-based imaging technology to evaluate wildlife populations in Indiana, she operates an infrared camera and GPS unit to conduct aerial surveys of white-tailed deer and turkey across the state. She also analyzes aerial survey footage using LineVision software.
In March 2025, Boughton assisted Dr. Patrick Ruhl as a student researcher on a White-throated Sparrow project. She was involved in banding the sparrows, creating radio transmitter “backpacks” and tracking the birds for several nights at the Purdue Wildlife Area.
This summer, Elena will act as a teaching assistant for the wildlife discipline at FNR’s Summer Practicum in May and June. Since February, she has been organizing course materials and helping students prepare for the upcoming five-week practicum. Once at camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she will continue to assist with teaching and course facilitation.
As an active member and officer for Purdue TWS, Elena has participated in several working group events
including bird banding, herpetology hikes and specimen prep workshops. Additionally, she also authors the club’s weekly newsletter and maintains the Purdue TWS social media accounts.
Elena also is a member of the Sycamore Audubon Society, attending general meetings, field trips and weekly bird walks. Previously, she was a member of the Purdue Horticulture Club and the Purdue Pet-A-Puppy Club.
Academically, Boughton has been on the Dean’s List and earned semester honors since 2022. In addition to her wildlife major, Elena is minoring in forest ecosystems and aquatic sciences. She also participated in the Costa Rica Natural History study abroad trip in the spring of 2024.
“Elena has consistently excelled in her coursework,” Dr. Elizabeth Flaherty said of Boughton. “She is achieving outstanding academic success, while also maintaining a very active presence in undergraduate research, participating in TWS and while working two campus jobs. It is rare for us to have an undergraduate student that is half as involved as Elena.”
