OOS Fall 2026 Speaker

OOS Meeting Announcement: CJ Stephens is a graduate student studying Ornithology at the University of Oklahoma, currently completing his final semester of his Master’s degree. His research focuses on fire ecology and its relationship to the Black-capped Vireo, a threatened songbird native to Oklahoma. Working under the mentorship of Jeremy Ross, his research examines how fire and habitat management influence the species and its persistence across the landscape.

In addition to his academic work, CJ served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, including a one-year deployment to Kenya, where he led the intelligence section. His experiences in both military service and field research have taken him into a variety of challenging environments and contributed to his interest in understanding wildlife and ecosystems in the field.

CJ has presented his research at the American Ornithological Society and the Oklahoma Audubon Society and is preparing to defend his research as his master’s thesis. His upcoming presentation will highlight his work on fire ecology and the Black-capped Vireo, as well as the broader implications of this research for understanding and managing the species' habitat.