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Current Graduate Students
Sofia Angelo, MS student
I am interested in the conservation of vertebrates and invertebrates that are often overlooked or less “popular.” I consider every group of animals important to the biodiversity of our planet and would like to see future where people and nature can thrive together. Although I have not worked in any tropical regions, I am currently working for The Center for Tropical Ecology and Conservation and am interested in working in the tropics in the future.
Christine Armiger, MS student
My goal as a student of conservation biology is to explore ways in which human modified landscapes can be restored so as to support higher levels of biodiversity and ecosystem services. I organized CTEC’s 2006 fall symposium “Banking on Biodiversity: The Ecological and Socio-economic Dimensions of Sustainable Agriculture.” This symposium is linked to my own research involving the ecological value of small-holder agroforestry systems in Central America.
Jason Estes, MS student
I am interested in working with the challenges surrounding conservation internationally. I have worked and studied in the tropics both in East Africa and Southeast Asia and I find myself energized by successful and creative conservation strategies.
Christine Gleason, MS student
As a future conservation biologist, I will focus my efforts on coastal systems. Specifically I would like to look at the impacts of humans and other mammals on these environments. I am particularly interested in the use of ecosystem management and stakeholders.
Nicole Gross-Camp, PhD student
My graduate research involves an examination of primate seed dispersal in an afromontane forest and the implications for forest regeneration processes. I am currently working in the Nyungwe National Park located in southwestern Rwanda.
Tamarra H. Martz, MS student
One of my goals as a conservation biology student is to better understand the effects of eco-tourism (as well as other human interactions) on the health of non-human primates. Carried out in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, my thesis research will look at the gastrointestinal parasites of six species of primates and the relationship of these parasites to ecological characteristics and degree of human interaction. With success, this research will establish a better understanding of what human interaction adds to gastrointestinal parasite levels in non-human primates of Nyungwe National Park. Another goal is to get regulations put into place limiting (and making more safe) human – non-human primate interaction within the park.
Rachel McShane, MS student
I am not only interested in research, but would also enjoy educating the public about wildlife diversity; in particular, I am interested in working with indigenous peoples to create land-management plans that are economically feasible yet still afford the greatest possible level of protection to the inhabitants of neighboring forests.
Lauren Miller, MS student
My central focus is on avian conservation across universal boundaries. Currently I am concerned with rare habitats and biodiversity. My master’s thesis will focus on grassland habitats of New England and understanding the variables that are most important for rare species.
McArd Joseph Mlotha, PhD student
I am an innovative and motivated GIS Analyst, specializing in GIS and Remote sensing applications, with emphasis in Environmental Planning, Land use and Land cover change analysis, environmental and natural resource management linked to socio-economic analysis. My research interests include land use history, advanced GIS and remote sensing applications, environmental information systems, Land use and Land cover change analysis and natural resources management planning.
Rick Newman, PhD student
My research interests essentially revolve around evolutionary avian ecology on islands. My most recent fieldwork has focused on the islands of the Caribbean. I am interested in how ecological communities evolve and how we can integrate what we know about this process into conservation practice.
Rebecca Rodomsky, MS student
I am a grad student at Antioch New England pursuing a Masters in Environmental Studies with and emphasis in Environmental Education. I sought out CTEC to further my professional skills by working for an organization/program seeking to build and strengthen their community by providing excellent service in the area of conservation education.
Jessica Stager, PhD student
I believe that often times the most direct path to environmental solutions is via simple communication, and in all my work I strive to build bridges between conservation science and public arenas. My current research deals with spatial and temporal patterns of diversity as they relate to human-induced change; my thesis will explore the relationship between semi-natural field management and butterfly diversity in rural region of Vermont.
Julie Tilden, MS student
Birds are usually what draw me to amazing places. I love to travel, explore and learn as much as I can about the environment around me. I am particularly passionate about raptor behavior and migration and hope to continue working and making a difference in the field of conservation.
Tharcisse Ukizintambara, PhD student
I am interested in the trio “habitat - primate - people” interactions; it is the topic I am focusing on in order to grasp an understanding of the impact of disturbance on habitat dynamics and species survival and the ecological processes governing forest structure; forest fragmentation and habitat quality; and plant and animal species survival strategies.
Carrie Wheelock, MS student
My primary interest is in coral reef ecology, conservation, and education. My interest in coral reefs began in 2003 when I was doing research on the Great Barrier Reef.
Lee Ann Woolery, PhD student
My doctoral research focuses on knowing changes in our environment, issues pertinent to ecological sustainability through methodologies that do not rely on the dominant Western scientific paradigm of logic and reason. I have developed and put a name to these intentional methods of art making and call it, art-based perceptual ecology (Woolery, 1999).
CTEC Alumni
Elena Acosta, MS
My research interests include issues on economic sustainability and rainforest conservation in Latin America and West Papua.
Kelly Biedenweg, MS
My training and experience as a natural scientist and educator have developed my interest for looking at both the social and ecological perspectives of biological conservation. My thesis research took place in Honduras, where I evaluated the effectiveness of an environmental leadership development program in removing barriers to environmental attitudes and behaviors.
Lauri Brewster, MS
My ultimate goal is to develop a career linking tropical ecology research with the conservation of tropical protected areas. My research interests lie at the intersection of ecological processes and landscape changes. I am particularly interested in seed dispersal ecology, forest regeneration, and forest fragmentation. For my thesis research I will be exploring the role of capuchin white-faced monkeys (Cebus capucinus) as seed dispersers in the fragmented landscape of Monteverde, Costa Rica.
Jeff Brown, MS
Living in a rural village in West Africa and facilitating public health outreach programs increased my awareness of the connection between environmental degradation and public health. I always returned to the question, “How can human health be improved for a rural population when the natural environment on which they are so dependent continues to be degraded?”
Alex A. Gonyaw, PhD student
My experience includes four years working as an environmental consultant for the nuclear and hydroelectric power industries. My primary expertise and interests are in freshwater and wetland ecology including invertebrate biology, taxonomy, fisheries, pollution biology and environmental chemistry.
Jamie Irving, MS student
After I graduated high school I went to live in Nicaragua for a year to assist as a drug counselor with an association by the name of Quincho Barrilete. The organization was designed to get severely impoverished children off of the streets through education and positive programming. I was there for seven months; not one of the kids I met made it through the initial step to recovery. My goal is to return to Nicaragua and be able to assist Quincho Barrilete by helping to discover environmental outreach programs for the children through grant writing and ingenuity.
Ayshah Kassamali, Former MS student
My interests are centered on the human dimensions of primate conservation, particularly in the realm of the bushmeat crisis and its impact on chimpanzee populations. I am dedicated to the preservation of both natural systems and cultural systems and my master’s research will focus on integrating community-based conservation into chimpanzee conservation efforts as a means of empowering indigenous communties with ownership over their natural resources.
Alison Kriscenski, MS
My research will focus on the interface of natural and cultural environments, particularly in tropical areas where these are intricately entwined. The outset of this work begins with independent studies of ecology, conservation and original rights on the Big Island, Hawaii.
Shawn W. Margles, MS student
My general interest is in the interactions between people and protected areas. This includes both social and ecological interactions resulting from the existence of conservation areas. More specifically, I am interested in how different land use types adjacent to protected area boundaries influence animal activity both within and beyond park boundaries. I am interested in how this activity influences forest processes. How these different matrices influence human activity is also of interest.
Jessica Mathon, MS student
My interest is in large carnivore conservation and human/ wildlife conflict in Africa. My thesis focuses on a non- profit organization in Zimbabwe, Painted Dog Conservation, and how its community outreach programs are targeting conservation of the endangered painted hunting dog, while attempting to improve the education and economic opportunities for the surrounding communities.
David Meek, MS student
My present research interests focus on traditional people, in the context of how their economic needs influence their interactions with the environment, and how these practices affect efforts at environmental conservation. I am also interested in examining how natural resource exploitation fuels civil strife, and how the effects of these conflicts influence the interactions between humans and the environment, often resulting in ethical and practical dilemmas for conservationists.
Diane Milliken, MS
The increasingly plagued ecosystem in my backyard, and injured sense of community within my hometown, has inspired me to investigate holistic management approaches that thoughtfully integrate and support ecology, economics, culture, politics and advocacy in a way that benefits both the community and the environment. Based on the exact or comparable infrastructure of a special area management plan (SAMP), I would like to work with urban and rural coastal communities in not only New England, but the Tropics as well, to successfully assess, protect, utilize and plan the future use of their coastal resources.
Krista Muller, MS student
From early childhood, I found myself in awe of the marine environment and its inhabitants. Over the past ten years, I have had many wonderful opportunities which have enabled me to expand my knowledge about marine mammals. I have also been fortunate enough to share my knowledge and enthusiasm about these creatures with others through teaching in the classroom and in the field.
Vivek Prasad, MS
Currently working on my PhD in Environmental Science and Public Policy at George Mason University.
Chad Skowronski, MS
I seek to engage my students with challenging, hands—on opportunities for exploration and inquiry into some of the most fascinating scientific scenarios out there—Life! My classroom takes this journey every day as we explore science that is both meaningful and relevant to our daily lives. We strive to be active members in our communities, working to educate local citizens and ourselves about our environment.
Christa Zacharias, MS student
Going to Costa Rica last year cemented in my love for the tropics. Lush wildlife and plant populations, rich cultures, and the dynamic problems tropical areas face draw me to them. Traveling around the world has opened my eyes and given me a deeper understanding of human nature that I find invaluable.
Guihong Zhang, MS
Forests not only play a fundamental role in global heat balance, global cycles of the elements (such as carbon and nitrogen), the hydrologic cycle, and soil stabilization, but they are also one of the biggest natural resources for human beings and wildlife as well. How to keep forests healthy and productive has long been a challenge facing forest scientists.
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