Ciara Sypherd

Hi Winthrop! I'm so excited to be joining the community this year as an RT! My name is Ciara (see-air-uh) and I'm a PhD student in bioengineering. I study animal communication using machine learning and try to answer questions like: "Do chimpanzees have dialects?" and "Do gorillas use names?"

I'm from Arizona and I actually started out my studies in community college. I then transferred to Arizona State University and earned two bachelor's degrees: one in Aerospace Engineering, and the other in Astrobiology and Biogeosciences. I made the switch to studying animal communication when I realized I was curious about astrobiology for the chance to better understand intelligent life in the universe - which we already have all around us! I'm psyched to get the chance to communicate with some of the most intelligent lifeforms in the universe as I get to know you all this year!

You may notice my dog in my profile picture. Her name is Io (like the moon of Jupiter, or like an Input/Output machine). She's a total sweetie and she would love to be your best friend. She's also my service dog, and she keeps me healthy and safe. When she's wearing her vest, that means she's working so please ignore her so she can focus on her job. When she's unvested, feel free to ask to say hi. You may often find us playing ball in the yard, and you're always welcome to join! Playing ball is the quickest way into her heart.