Zhe Chen

• Honors: Provost’s Honor List (Spring 2025, Fall 2025; term GPA 3.6+), International Student Scholarship
• Full Master’s Scholarship and Stipend
• Coursework: Survey of Environmental Science, Principles of Biology, Organismal Biology, Principles of Cell Biology, General Ecology, General Chemistry, Fundamentals of Geo Info & Analysis, Introductory Statistics, Genetics

• Honor: National Inspirational Scholarship

honeyguide: Harmonize and Merge Avian Trait Datasets Across Taxonomic Authorities

Chen, Z., & Guillaumet, A. (2026). R package, in development. Funded by Troy University.

An R package envisioned as unified, extensible infrastructure for comparative biogeography, ecology, and evolution (BEE). It reconciles taxonomic inconsistencies across heterogeneous biodiversity datasets against a user-selected authority and streamlines established comparative methods (PGLS, phylogenetic PCA, path analysis, model fitting, biogeographic reconstruction) into a single reproducible workflow. Contributed to the taxonomic-harmonization core and curated avian trait datasets for the Parulidae proof-of-concept.

Characterizing and Comparing Dynamic Habitat Selection in New World Warblers

Chen, Z., & Guillaumet, A. Undergraduate research, Troy University. In progress.

Developed an R tool (f.rel.ab() / map_local()) for one-command eBird relative-abundance mapping: a fast ebirdst mode and a custom mode that zero-fills checklists, derives sampling-effort variables, and fits a hurdle random-forest model (encounter RF + SCAM calibration + count RF). Phase 1 of a project treating SDM transferability as a comparative ecological metric.

A GIS-based Approach for Automating Landscape-scale Habitat Characterization and Ecological Modeling

Chen, Z., Schabron, K. R., & Guillaumet, A. (2026). Poster presentation, Troy University. github.com/youneedhelp111/Blackwater_prj

Designed an automated Python/ArcPy workflow generating landscape covariates for avian occupancy modeling across 202 survey sites in southern Alabama. Downloads elevation (USGS 3DEP), land cover (NLCD), and soil (SSURGO) data via API, mosaics them, and computes terrain metrics (slope, aspect, northness, eastness) within 50 m, 1 km, and 5 km buffers, exporting to CSV for modeling in R. Supports K. Schabron’s M.S. thesis on avian assemblages in southeastern U.S. riparian ecosystems (co-author).

Leafy Spurge Herbicide Evaluation

Carroll, J., Chen, Z., Fowers, B., Arndt, J., & Mealor, B. (2026, August 5). Oral presentation, Sheridan Research & Extension Center, University of Wyoming.

Herbicide screening trial for the invasive weed leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), funded by Nichino America. Four treatments were rated at 30/90 days and 1/2/3 years after application. Performed the data processing and analysis, wrote the final report, and co-presented the results.

• Supported research on invasive grass management, rangeland restoration, and forage agronomy at IMAGINE (Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems).
• Conducted field, greenhouse, and lab data collection; maintained research farm facilities.
• Followed standard protocols, working independently and in teams on outdoor research tasks.

• Developed automated Python and R scripts to extract spatial metrics from Alabama environmental datasets, supporting GIS-based research.
• Developing a new R package for bird genetics, evolution, and data integration.

• Collected coastal soil samples and created ArcGIS models.
• Isolated halophilic microorganisms; extracted DNA for PCR analysis.
• Organized research materials for the supervising professor.

erase-me — AI Memory Privacy Skill

github.com/youneedhelp111/erase_me

An AI-agent skill (Claude Code / skills.sh compatible) that guides an assistant to rewrite sensitive memory entries into vague-but-truthful generalizations, without deleting or fabricating.