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Graduate and Undergraduate Mentors in Conservation Behavior
Looking for advisers, academic programs, research assistantships, internships, or summer programs in conservation behavior?
Dr. Raphael Arlettaz
Professor in Conservation Biology, Co-director Zoological Institute, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland, +41 31 631 31 61 raphael.arlettaz@nat.unibe.ch www.conservation.unibe.ch
Conservation biology of emblematic species of agro-ecosystems and alpine ecosystems, mostly vertebrates (birds and mammals). We are sometimes looking for good graduate students as PhD recruits.
Dr. Allison C. Alberts
Head of Applied Conservation, Applied Conservation Division, Zoological Society of San Diego, P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112, USA, (619) 557-3955 aalberts@sandiegozoo.org http://www.sandiegozoo.org/conservation/alberts_bio.html
Much of my career has been spent studying iguanas, and I currently serve as co-chair of the IUCN-World Conservation Union Iguana Specialist Group. Because they facilitate germination, promote seedling growth, and disperse the seeds of the native plants they consume, iguanas play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Although my early work concentrated on social communication in desert and green iguanas, since 1993, I have been carrying out applied research on the critically endangered rock iguanas of the Caribbean. My work includes studies on the behavior and reproductive ecology of wild iguana populations, experiments to determine optimal egg incubation parameters, population surveys, translocation programs, and educational outreach efforts. Most recently, my colleagues and I have been exploring the utility of in-country "headstarting" programs, in which juvenile rock iguanas are reared in a safe environment until they are no longer vulnerable to introduced predators, as a conservation strategy for augmenting wild populations. In addition to my work in the Caribbean, I have a long-standing interest in the conservation of biodiversity in Southern California. My research group is currently involved in recovery programs for a number of threatened species, as well as outreach in local communities to increase public understanding and appreciation. One of our primary focus areas continues to be the restoration of endangered Southern California ecosystems to a more natural, healthy, and productive state. We are actively exploring a variety of restoration approaches, including reintroduction of keystone vertebrate species to their native range, seed banking for revegetation of disturbed areas, and invasive plant removal.
Dr. Jeffrey M. Black
Professor, Department of Wildlife, Wildlife Building #160 & #248, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA, (707) 826-3439 jmb7002@humboldt.edu www.humboldt.edu/~jmb7002
My research involves quantification of how individuals cope with the constraints imposed by their environment while striving to survive and reproduce. In animal systems where human activity adds to the set of natural constraints studies of behavioral repertoires can be classified under the realm conservation and management. I work with a set of MSc candidates that enroll in our Wildlife Program to address these kind of studies primarily in the Waterfowl Ecology Research Group as outlined on my website.
Dr. Daniel T. Blumstein
Assistant Professor of Biology, Department of Organismic Biology, Ecology & Evolution, 621 Charles E. Young, Drive South, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA, (310) 267-4746 marmots@ucla.edu http://www.obee.ucla.edu/Faculty/Blumstein/
I am a behavioral ecologist broadly interested in the evolution of social and antipredator behavior. My research has several themes: it is broadly interdisciplinary; it combines in situ, ex situ, and comparative studies; it uses the process of research to educate students and members of the community about science; and it integrates theory with applied biology. Current work focuses on three questions: 1) developing predictive models of the persistence of antipredator behavior under relaxed-selection; 2) understanding the evolution of complex communication and sociality; 3) developing an empirically-derived evolutionary ecology of fear. Additionally, I am the principle investigator on a project that develops JWatcher--a freely distributed program to quantify and analyze behavior. My conservation behavior experience includes both theoretical reviews which highlight and identify the relevance of behavioral knowledge for conservation questions, as well as theoretical and empirical work focusing on ways to increase reintroduction success. I am a member of the IUCN Reintroduction Specialist Group. I work with marmots, kangaroos, wallabies, and birds.
Dr. Justin Brashares
Assistant Professor, Dept of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 44 (0)1223 767 129 office (current) jsb58@cam.ac.uk (current) http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/zoostaff/cbg/jbrashares.html
Ecology and conservation; behavioral correlates of population persistence in mammals; behavioral ecology and conservation of large mammals and birds in East and West Africa; impact of over-exploitation on ecology and behavior of mammal and bird species and species interactions. Graduate students will be considered for work on behavior and conservation in Africa and California, and possibly elsewhere.
Dr. Richard Buchholz
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA, (662) 915-5012 byrb@olemiss.edu http://home.olemiss.edu/~byrb/
I study the adaptive function of multiple sexual signaling structures primarily in birds. I am also exploring how variation in animal behavior impacts the conservation of isolated and fragmented populations.
Dr. Tim Caro
Professor, Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA, (530) 752-0596 tmcaro@ucdavis.edu
Edited a book entitled Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Biology, Oxford University Press, 1998. I am interested in innovative and specific projects that link behavioral ecology and conservation biology.
Dr. Colleen Cassady St. Clair
Assistant Professor Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E9, Canada, (780) 492-9685 cstclair@ualberta.ca http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/faculty/colleen_cassady_stclair/
I work at the interface between Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Biology by studying the movement behaviour of animals living in human-altered landscapes. Recent work with my students concerns the way animals assess and respond to habitat barriers and corridors. My group is also studying the relative importance of landscape configuration to species distribution and population parameters by comparing these landscape effects to small-scale habitat selection and large-scale weather phenomena. A final aspect of this research assesses the potential to use behavioural manipulation, such as aversive conditioning, to solve management problems that stem from changes to the movement and distribution of animals in fragmented landscapes.
Dr. Stephen B. Hager
Assistant Professor of Biology, Research Institution Address, Augustana College, Rock Island, IL 61201-2296, USA, (309) 794-3439 bihager@augustana.edu http://www.augustana.edu/Users/bihager/index.htm
I am interested in understanding population dynamics in anurans using breeding chorus indices at a biological field station in North central Illinois, Green Wing Environmental Laboratory. I would be interested in collaborative projects with graduates and undergraduates, but mostly I want to plug Green Wing Environmental Laboratory, a member of the Organization for Biological Field Stations (OBFS), as a potential site for anuran conservation research for anyone interested. Visit this for more info: http://www.obfs.org/Members/Stations/IL_Green_Wing_.html
Dr. Kay E. Holekamp
Professor of Zoology, Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI 48824-1115, USA, (517) 432-3691 holekamp@msu.edu http://hyenas.zoology.msu.edu
Research in my laboratory focuses on mammalian behavioral development and its physiological substrates. My students and I are currently investigating how social, ecological, and endocrine variables interact during an individual's early development to influence its subsequent behavior and its reproductive success as an adult. We have been working lately on study of mammalian dispersal movements, interspecific competition among large African carnivores, and effects of anthropogenic activity of various sorts on the behavior, development and reproduction of large carnivores.
Dr. Devra Kleiman
Research Associate, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland, Zoo-Logic, LLC, 7216 Delfield St., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA, (301) 652-0647 dgkleiman@aol.com
Social behavior of mammals and interface of animal behavior and conservation science. I take grad students.
Dr. Tom A. Langen
Assistant Professor, Departments of Biology & Psychology, Box 5805, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699, USA, (315) 268-7933 tlangen@clarkson.edu www.clarkson.edu/~tlangen
Current research focuses on the impact of roads on turtles, frogs, and other organisms associated with wetlands. This research includes detailed demography, analysis of dispersal movements, and landscape ecology. I welcome applications for graduate work - we have a new program in interdisciplinary environmental science at Clarkson University.
Dr. Wayne L. Linklater
Conservation and Research for Endangered Species, Zoological Society of San Diego, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92027-7000, U.S.A. +1 (760) 291 5448 wlinklater@sandiegozoo.org
Dr. Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf
Director of Field Conservation, Lincoln Park Zoo , 2001 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614, USA 312-742-7354 elonsdorf@lpzoo.org
I am the Director of Field Conservation at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and a Faculty member of the Committee on Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago. I administer the zoo's support of and participation in field conservation projects, which include overseeing the zoo's Africa/Asia and Neotropic Field Conservation Funds. I also work at Gombe National Park, Tanzania, where I supervise a health monitoring project for the Gombe chimpanzees (funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Great Ape Conservation Fund). This project includes the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Jane Goodall Institute, University of Minnesota and Tanzania National Parks. Lonsdorf serves on the Field Conservation Committee of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) and on the Section on Great Apes of the IUCN Primate Specialist Group.
Dr. Sue Margulis
Curator of Primates,
Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
Lecturer, Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago,
IL 60637 (312) 742-2345 smargulis@lpzoo.org
http://pondside.uchicago.edu/ceb/faculty/Margulis.html
I have recently moved to the Lincoln Park Zoo where my focus is on captive management of primates. From a conservation perspective, I am often working with endangered species, thus there is great interest in enhancing captive
breeding and better understanding the specific environmental requirements
of different species. Consequently, my research has largely focused on the
effects of environment on behavior. This includes both the physical environment
and the social environment, both of which may have far-reaching effects on
behavior, reproduction, and overall well-being. I am particularly interested
in patterns of reproductive and parental behavior in captive animals, and
in quantifying the effects of environmental change on behavior.
Dr. Don Moore
Wildlife Conservation Society, Prospect Park Zoo, 450 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225, USA, (718) 399-7310 dmoore@wcs.org http://wcs.org/
Reproductive synchrony in endangered deer and other species, and other reproductive/life history behavioral characteristics, and how these relate to conservation in nature; natural history of a species and how this can inform daily husbandry of zoo animals, especially those in cooperative restoration programs; and behavioral pathologies and how to address these in captive animals that are part of cooperative endangered species restoration programs. I am interested in recruiting undergraduate or graduate interns to collaborate on research in situ or ex situ. Adjunct Professor at Hunter College (New York City), Dept Psychology, graduate focus in Animal Behavior and Conservation.
Dr. Mike Mooring
Associate Professor, Point Loma Nazarene University, 3900 Lomaland Drive, San Diego, CA 92106, USA, (619) 849-2719 mikemooring@ptloma.edu
Ungulate behavioral ecology. Long-time interest in behavioral adaptations to parasites (e.g., tick defense, grooming and fly-repelling behavior). More recent work on predation risk, sexual segregation, and behavioral endocrinology. Current research is exploring sexual selection and communication, specifically, sexually-selected signal assessment in bison. This work involves acoustical and fecal steroid analyses to explore acoustical, chemical, and visual signals during the rut. Most of this work is done on national or state wildlife refuges in collaboration with management agencies, such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Applied aspects of my research aim at assisting conservation efforts. In the past few years, my work with bighorn sheep and bison has investigated habitat use, predation risk, sexual segregation, population parasitology, forage selection and nutritional analysis, and reproductive endocrinology to assist management goals and policy. My current research on a national wildlife refuge is collecting data on reproductive success of the bison herd in order to calculate effective population size, needed to estimate the minimum population size required to avoid future genetic loss and risk of extinction. I work with undergraduates at my institution (which has no graduate program in the sciences) through a well-established summer research program, in which students work with me for 10 weeks of the summer. I am willing to co-mentor graduate students who are interested in this work.
Dr. Stephen Mullin
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, Charlston, IL 61920, USA, (217) 581-6234 cfsjm@eiu.edu http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfsjm/
On-going research includes projects concerning (a) predator-prey interactions where one or both species are introduced; and, (b) foraging ecology of threatened or rare species. I would welcome inquiries from prospective Master's of Science (thesis only) students.
Dr. Guillermo Paz-y-Mino C.
Assistant Professor, Kalyan K. Ghosh Center for Science & Technology, Worcester College, 486 Chandler St., Worcester, MA 01602-2597, USA, 508-929-8646, gpazymino@worcester.edu http://wwwfac.worcester.edu/biology/g__paz-y-mino.htm
I have broad interests in behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology. My research focuses in three main areas: the link between different levels of social organization and the cognitive abilities of animals; the association between socio-sexual behaviors and the communication of signals for the recognition of kin (particularly the role of memory in kin recognition); and the application of behavioral paradigms in conservation biology (I am intrigued by the potential use of cognitive principles in species recovery plans and reintroductions into the wild). I work with different biological systems including mammals, birds, and nematodes.
Dr. Raleigh J. Robertson
Professor of Biology, Baillie Family Chair in Conservation Biology and Director, Queen's University Biological Station, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6, (613) 533-6140 robertsr@biology.queensu.ca http://biology.queensu.ca/~robertsr/
Behavioural ecology, mating systems and conservation biology of birds.
Dr. Bruce A. Schulte
Associate Professor of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Box 8042, Georgia Avenue, Statesboro, GA 30460-8042, USA, (912) 681-5807 bschulte@georgiasouthern.edu http://www.bio.gasou.edu/bio-home/Schulte/Schulte-home.html
I study communication and signal theory, reproductive behavior and sexual selection, the interaction of forage selection and social dynamics, and related aspects of conservation biology. My primary species of study are beavers, elephants and manatees.
Dr. Rebecca Snyder
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management, Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30315, USA, (404) 624-5623 rsnyder@zooatlanta.org www.zooatlanta.org
My research focuses on proximate mechanisms underlying three types of complex social behavior in giant pandas, courtship and mating, maternal behavior, and social play. Currently, I am investigating hormonal and developmental variables that contribute to the expression of these behaviors.
Dr. Judy Stamps
Professor, Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA jastamps@ucdavis.edu
My students and I are interested in general principles of habitat selection that are relevant to problems in conservation and population biology. For instance, we are studying situations and species in which experience in a natal habitat increases the chances that a disperser will select that same type of habitat after dispersal, a phenomenon called habitat preference induction.
Dr. John P. Swaddle
Assistant Professor, Biology Department College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA, (757) 221-2231 jpswad@wm.edu http://fsweb.wm.edu/jpswad/
Our lab researches how developmental conditions influence the behavior and fitness of individuals. In terms of conservation work, we are studying how land management practices affect the development, behavior, fitness and life history of bird populations. We have a very active lab of undergraduate and graduate students and are always looking for student collaborators and Master students to join our program at the interface of animal behavior and conservation.
Dr. Ronald R. Swaisgood
Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species, Zoological Society of San Diego, P. O. Box 120551
San Diego, CA 92112, USA, (619) 744-3372 rswaisgood@sandiegozoo.org
I am a broadly trained behavioral ecologist seeking avenues to apply my expertise in support of conservation efforts. I have been employed at the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES), Zoological Society of San Diego since 1995. I maintain several active projects, primarily with the giant panda and rhinoceros species. For the past few years I have spent several months each year at the panda breeding center in the Wolong Nature Reserve (China) conducting studies aimed at improving captive breeding and building base knowledge for potential use in conservation of wild populations. Research areas include chemical communication, mate choice, reproductive behavior, stress, well-being, enrichment, and maternal care. I also have conducted studies of reproductive behavior and physiology and chemical communication in the southern and northern white rhino and Indian rhino in captive settings, seeking to determine the cause of reproductive failure in the F2 generation. For the past three years I have conducted a similar study with white rhino in Umfolozi Game Reserve, South Africa. More recently, I have been involved in a research program examining the use of scent communication to reduce aggression and fight-related mortalities in translocated black rhino in Namibia and South Africa. I also maintain an active program with the pygmy loris, studying chemical communication, mate choice and reproductive behavior.
Dr. Liang Wei
Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, Hainan Province, P. R. China, +86-898-65890520 liangw@hainan.net http://www.hainnu.edu.cn/yuanxisz/teacher/liangwei.htm
Foraging and flocking behavior and conservation of Golden pheasant Chrysolophus pictus, and Hainan hill partridge Arborophila ardens.
Dr. Mark L. Wildhaber
U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, Missouri 65201, USA 573-876-1847, mark_wildhaber@usgs.gov
My research includes studies of the reproductive behavior and physiology and abiotic and biotic requirements for reproductive success of fish species that are federally-listed as threatened or endangered. One of my ultimate goals is to use this information, along with information on fish behavior as it relates to thermoregulation, foraging, and bioenergetics, to develop mathematical models within an individual-based and spatially-explicit framework that describe aquatic community dynamics.