We want to understand the big patterns of life on Earth and ensure that today’s incredible biodiversity will persist into the foreseeable future.

The mission of the Mountain Bird Lab at Georgia Tech is ambitious, but Online Master of Science Computer Science (OMSCS) student Vanessa Prema is doing her part to realize it from her home in San Diego, California.  

Prema is researching acoustic analysis of songbirds in the high Himalayas. Specifically, she is developing a classifier to identify specific song types of the Hume’s Leaf Warbler. The project aims to uncover whether specific songs correspond to behaviors such as breeding activity, time of day, or elevation.  

“Understanding bird behavior through their sounds, and how that relates to the environment, is crucial,” said Prema. “It’s not just about species identification but understanding what each vocalization might signal in terms of behavior or environmental context. That level of complexity gave me a new appreciation for how birds communicate.”  

Blending Passion with Purpose

Coming from a materials science background, Prema realized she was drawn more to software and digital systems than physical ones.  

“I never loved the hands-on tinkering side of materials science,” said Prema. “What I really enjoyed was problem-solving and building systems on the computer.”  

To deepen her technical knowledge while continuing to work, Prema enrolled in Georgia Tech’s OMSCS program. Through OMSCS, she discovered the Human Augmented Analytics Group (HAAG), a virtual research lab founded by Ph.D. student Breanna Shi that connects online students with in-person research.  

HAAG introduced Prema to the Mountain Bird Lab, led by Benjamin Freeman. The lab combines ecological fieldwork with computational tools to study bird behavior and biodiversity. The project was a natural fit for Prema who had long been interested in birdwatching and conservation.  

A Global Team with a Shared Mission

“My interests in birds, animals, and biology made the bird audio research opportunity feel like a perfect fit,” said Prema. “It allows me to merge my personal passion with technical skills.”

That personal connection continues to motivate her. Prema said the experience has significantly broadened her perspective on what’s possible within computer science, especially regarding interdisciplinary applications.  

“Learning both ecological and biological information alongside advanced machine learning techniques from other group members has shown me the incredible potential of combining diverse fields to address complex, real-world problems,” said Prema.  

A typical day in the lab involves significant collaboration with researchers across continents. For Prema, the most rewarding aspect has been working alongside those with deep domain expertise in ecology and biology.    

“Collaborating with people who know so much about birds and seeing how our technical work translates into meaningful biological insights has truly been inspiring and has given me a much richer understanding of the entire research pipeline,” said Prema.  

Using Birdsong Data to Understand and Protect the Planet

Prema believes technology has a critical role to play in protecting ecosystems.  

By using technology to better collect and analyze bird audio data, we can more effectively monitor bird populations, understand how they react to environmental changes, and ultimately assess the health of our ecosystems,” said Prema. “This information is crucial for making informed decisions about protecting wildlife and their habitats and even identifying broader environmental changes before they become visible elsewhere.

She hopes to demonstrate how technological advancements can directly support crucial conservation efforts, improve data collection methods, and provide valuable insights for protecting the planet’s biodiversity.  

“I hope my work contributes to advancing practical, deployable technology for ecological conservation,” said Prema. “After this project and program, I’m excited to continue exploring how machine learning can be applied to environmental and biological challenges.”  

Making Her Mark Virtually

Her work hasn’t gone unnoticed by those around her.  

“Vanessa has become an invaluable mentor and technical leader to her team, streamlining complex machine learning pipelines that benefit researchers across disciplines,” said Shi. “As the founder of HAAG, I’m thrilled to champion Vanessa as a brilliant researcher not only advancing her own project but actively elevating the entire HAAG community. I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes next.”  

What’s Next: Sharing, Publishing, and Moving Forward

On July 30, Prema will share her work with the WildLabs Community at their monthly variety hour. She is currently preparing for her first publication submission by the end of 2025.