Claire Bresnan (PhD) Smithsonian Fellow

Claire, co-supervised by Dr. Hila Shamon of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, is examining factors that affect bison movement, particularly the fission and fusion of sub-herds within larger herds, on the American Prairie Reserve in eastern Montana.  Her work combines movement data for hundreds of individuals using LoRa transmitters, genetic data from high throughput sequencing, environmental data from remote sensing including drones, and behavioral observation.

Ben Goodheart (MS, PhD) MSU GTA and NSF GRA

Ben analyzed almost a decade of intensive data on the demography and density of African wild dogs in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem for his MS.  In addition to providing baseline data on demography for a critical population, he is examining how long term changes in competitors, prey density and the composition of the prey community affect wild dogs.  He is examining factors that restrict their distribution, movement and hunting for his PhD.

Johnathan Merkle (PhD) MSU GTA and NSF GRA

 Johnathan is analyzing a decade of intensive data on the demography and density of African wild dogs in South Luangwa National Park and the adjoining Game Management Areas.  In addition to providing baseline data on demography for a critical population, he is examining how wild dogs optimize the trade off between a 'rock and a hard place' - high lion density in the park, high snare density and prey depletion in the GMAs.

Anna Kusler (PhD) MSU GTA and NSF GRA

Anna is analyzing long term data from intensive monitoring of individually-known cheetahs in the greater Kafue Ecosystem to provide the first description of their density, demography, population dynamics, space use and movement in a major component of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.  Her focus is on testing how prey depletion due to heavy illegal offtake alters the ecological processes that limit cheetah numbers and distribution.   Anna is co-advised by Dr. Justine Becker.

Itai Namir (PhD) Smithsonian Fellow

Itai is studying the broad ecological impacts of different methods of preventing outbreaks of sylvatic plague in prairie dog towns, with a particular focus on changes in the behavior, movement and burrow structure of prarie dogs and the consequences for (endangered) black footed ferrets.   Itai is co-advised by Dr. Justine Becker and Hila Shamon of the Smithsonian Institution.

Daan Smit (MS) MSU GTA and NSF GRA

Daan is examining the demography and space use of spotted hyenas and cheetahs in Liuwa Plains National Park, an unusual protected area because it holds the second-largest wildebeest migration in Africa, but has only a handful of lions.  He is examining hyena population stucture and space use with more than a decade of data from all clans in the park, to describe their ecology in a lion-depleted ecosystem, and examining how cheetahs respond to these conditions.   Daan is co-advised by Dr. Justine Becker.