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Wildlife Ecology and Conservation department

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation department

Alumni of the Frederick Lab 1988 – 2021

Graduate students, postdocs, and research coordinators.

Evan Adams. MS 2007. Effects of chronic and low methylmercury exposure on juvenile White Ibises (Eudocimus albus). PhD, University of Maine 2014. Now Ecological Modeler working at Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland ME.

Greg Babbitt. MS, 2000. Morphologic, behavioral, and energetic aspects of reproduction and sexual selection in colonial ibises, Threskiornithinae. PhD, University of Florida 2006. Now an associate professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Steve Beck. Research Coordinator, Suwannee Sound Oyster restoration project, 2017 – 2020.  Now Fisheries Biologist with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Matthew Bokach. MS, 2005. The relative influences of predation and prey availability on ardeid breeding colony site selection. Currently working as a senior analyst with U.S. Forest Service in California.

Rena Borkhataria, PhD 2009, Postdoc finishing 2012. Research Assistant Professor at University of Florida, now Executive Director at Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program Collaborative, York Pa.

Shannon Bouton. MS, 1999. Ecotourism in wading bird colonies in the Brazilian Pantanal: Biological and social implications. PhD, 2005, University of Michigan. Now President and CEO of nonprofit Mkinsey.org

Noah Burrell – Phd student, now working for USGS on the island of Guam.

Brittany Burtner, MS 2011, Symbiosis between long legged wading birds (Ciconiiformes) and alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)? Testing the ‘nest protector’ hypothesis.  Now Marine Biologist/Planner for Monroe County FL.

Jason Fidorra, MS 2012. Movement patterns and the relative importance of constructed and natural wetlands to great egrets in the southeastern u.s. now Landowner Resource Specialist, Washington Department of Fish and Game, Olympia WA.

Wray Gabel, MS 2019. Characteristics and consequences of a mutualism between long-legged wading birds and the American Alligator in the southeastern US.  Now Biologist with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Lindsey Garner. Research Coordinator – 2016- 2021.  MS North Carolina State University 2017. Continuing as research coordinator for the Everglades Wading Bird Project in the lab of Dr. Morgan Ernest.

Julie Heath. PhD, 2002. White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) reproductive physiology. Assistant Professor, Hofstra University, now professor at Boise State University.

Becky Hylton. MS, 2004. Survival, movement patterns, and habitat use of juvenile wood storks, (Mycteria americana). PhD North Carolina State University.  Now Science Coordinator at the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture.

Nilmini Jayasena, PhD 2010,  Effects of chronic methylmercury exposure on reproductive success, behavior, and steroid hormones of the White Ibis (Eudocimus albus).Now senior lecturer University of Perideniya, Sri Lanka.

Deng Jie. MS, 1998. Bird-strike mortality of wetland birds on a 550 KV high-voltage powerline in the Everglades of Florida. PhD, 2005 University of Florida. Now Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at University of Florida.

Kwanmok Kim, PhD 2020. How Does Refuge Shape, Abundance, and Arrangement Affect Species Diversity in an Oyster Reef System?  Now doing a postdoc at UC Santa Cruz in the lab of Dr. Peter Dudley.

Lucas Nell, MS 2014.  Exploring benefits to American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) associating with long-legged wading bird nesting colonies in the Everglades. PhD University of Wisconsin 2021.

Sophie Orzechowski – MS, 2018. Quantifying the impacts of invasive Burmese Pythons on wading bird reproduction in the Everglades. Now in PhD program at Harvard.

Alejandro Paredes. MS, 2004. Status, distribution, habitat requirements, and foraging ecology of the Jabiru stork (Jabiru mycteria) in northern and central Belize, Central America.

Simona Picardi, PhD 2019. Movement ecology of Wood Storks in the Southeastern U.S.  Now in postdoc at Utah State University.  

Ignacio Rodriguez-Jorquera – Postdoc finishing 2016, now at Universidad Austral de Chile, Executive Director of the Centro de Humedales Rio Cruces, Valdivia, Chile.  

Johanna Salatas. MS, 2000. The relationships among food consumption, growth and survival in nestling herons. Now Environmental Risk Management Coordinator at Teck Resources Limited, Tacoma WA.

Jennifer Seavey, Postdoc finishing 2013, now director of the Shoals Marine Lab, University of New Hampshire and Cornell University.

John David Semones. MS, 2003. Consequences of nesting date on nesting success and juvenile survival in white ibis. Juris Doctor 2006 Lewis and Clark University. Now Counsel at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.

John Simon, Research Coordinator 2004 – 2010.  John has since worked in various conservation science related jobs, supported his family, and published a book on humor.

Jim Surdick. MS, 1998. Biotic and abiotic indicators of foraging site selection and foraging success of four ciconiiform species in the freshwater Everglades of Florida. PhD, University of Florida 2005. Now with Florida Natural Areas Inventory.

Ross Tsai.  Postdoc finished 2012. Now Assistant Professor at Chaiyi National University, Taiwan.

Annalee Tweitmann. MS, 2020. Interactive effects of salinity, temperature, and inundation time on the survival and growth of the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica. Now with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Lake Monitoring and Assessment Program. 

Louise Venne, PhD 2012. Wading bird (Ciconiiformes) response to fire and the effects of fire in the Everglades.   Now Senior Toxicologist with Wood Group, Atlanta Ga.

Gary Williams. MS, 1997. The effects of methylmercury on the growth and food consumption of Great Egret nestlings in the Central Everglades. PhD 2002 West Virginia State University.  Now a Wildlife Biologist in the Division of Migratory Bird Management of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort Collins CO.

Kate Williams. MS, 2007. Biases in population estimation for colonially nesting Great Egrets (Ardea alba) and White Ibises (Eudocimus albus) in the Florida Everglades. Now Wildlife and Renewable Energy Program Director, Biodiversity Research Institute Portland ME.

Nick Vitale, Research Coordinator 2012 – 2014. MS University of Florida 2018.  Now working as Shorebird Coordinator for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Javier Zabala Albizua (Jabi). Postdoctoral Associate 2016 – 2020. Jabi is now a faculty member at the University of the Basque in Bilbao, Spain.