Class of 2026: For Ezra Staengl, a lifelong curiosity takes flight

Long before he ever stepped into a wildlife conservation classroom at Virginia Tech, Ezra Staengl was chasing speed. Not on a track, but in the sky.

Captivated by peregrine falcons and their legendary dives, he spent his childhood watching, waiting, and hoping to catch a glimpse of the fastest animal on Earth in the wild.

Now, Staengl is graduating from the College of Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE) as a wildlife conservation major and the spring recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi Medallion Award and the college’s outstanding graduating senior. The recognition reflects his academic excellence and a body of research shaped by curiosity, persistence, and a connection to the outdoors.

Growing up in Charlottesville, Staengl spent much of his time outside catching frogs and snakes near a neighborhood pond and learning to notice the patterns of the natural world. Birding became a way to focus that curiosity.

By the time he enrolled at Piedmont Virginia Community College, he knew he wanted to pursue a career related to wildlife, even if he didn’t yet have a name for the field. That clarity came later, through conversations with peers and exposure to Virginia Tech’s wildlife conservation program.

After transferring, Staengl translated that early interest into hands-on research across multiple projects. Working with faculty mentors, he explored questions ranging from how bird species share resources in island ecosystems to how community science platforms like eBird can uncover overlooked data. Each project added new technical skills but also reinforced a consistent goal: understanding how species interact with each other and their environments.

“CNRE gave me the opportunity to work closely with faculty and be part of research in a meaningful way,” Staengl said. “That kind of mentorship made a big difference in how I’ve grown here.”

One of his primary projects, conducted with Haldre Rogers, associate professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, focused on two species of Micronesian songbirds: the bridled white-eye and the golden white-eye. The birds share similar diets and habitats across several islands, but not always together.

By using stable isotope analysis, Staengl examined how their feeding patterns shift depending on whether the two species coexist, offering insight into how animals adapt when competing for the same resources.

Closer to home, though, Staengl contributed to research on royal terns along the Virginia coast, analyzing data from a global platform where birders submit observations and photos called eBird. By reviewing thousands of images, he identified leg bands placed by researchers and discovered that many of those sightings had never been formally reported. His work showed that community-submitted data can fill critical gaps, helping scientists better track bird movement and survival.

The projects are a microcosm of Staengl’s time at the university: combining field-based ecological questions with emerging data tools to better understand wildlife systems at various scales.

“I’ve learned so much from each project beyond the technical skills, but how to ask better questions,” Staengl said. “It’s helped me figure out the kind of research I want to keep doing.”

That mindset is part of what earned him the Phi Kappa Phi Medallion Award, recognizing the top graduating senior in the College of Natural Resources and Environment.

“Ezra has already put his curiosity, intellect and work ethic in practice as an impactful student leader and young scientist,” Karpanty said. “Our selection committee was particularly impressed at both the breadth and depth of Ezra’s research experiences to date at Virginia Tech. Ezra was a valued team member of four different research groups in wildlife conservation and the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, and his research has already resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications which is incredibly rare for an undergraduate student.

“Even while excelling in research and academics, Ezra made time to be a leader in our active student chapter of The Wildlife Society and Bird Club and has mentored many other students in the field,” Karpanty said. “Ezra exemplified the spirit of Ut Prosim and our faculty are excited to see the impacts he will make in his future to advance wildlife conservation.”

For Staengl, though, the path forward still connects back to where it started. Years after first being drawn to falcons, he found himself standing with his family at the Grand Canyon, watching two peregrine falcons hunt a white-throated swift. The birds cut through the canyon air with precision.

It was exactly how he imagined as a kid.