Ima Gushmore

Dr. Ima Gushmore is an Associate Lecturer in Applied Cloacology at the entirely fictional Institute of Excremental Ecology (IEE), where his research focuses on the physics of guano propulsion and its ecological consequences. His early career included pioneering work on “avian trajectory modelling,” though he is best known for co-authoring the controversial white paper “Poop with Purpose: Hygienic Strategies in Colonial Seabirds.”

Ima’s fieldwork has taken him from the windswept cliffs of the sub-Antarctic to the perilous task of calibrating cloacal pressure sensors in situ. He describes his research philosophy as “hands-on, but preferably at arm’s length.”

Outside of penguin science, Ima is an enthusiastic amateur juggler, a two-time champion of the Invercargill Competitive Composting Festival, and a staunch advocate for eco-friendly dye use in avian excreta studies. He hopes his work will inspire the next generation of researchers to “look at penguins from the bottom up.”