Jesse Alston

Big data and rapidly improving statistical and computational tools are enabling researchers to answer previously unanswerable questions. I use these emerging tools to quantify the mechanisms that dictate how large mammals interact with each other and their environments, then apply that knowledge to conservation practice. My research program integrates movement ecology, thermal physiology, remote sensing, and conservation science to characterize how and why animals move across the landscapes they inhabit, identify data-driven pathways for wildlife-livestock coexistence, and develop new approaches for conserving wildlife and ecosystems. In my international work, I work to build in-country conservation capacity by partnering with regional organizations and training local graduate students to be future conservation leaders. 

I grew up in rural northeastern North Carolina, went to Davidson College for my undergraduate degree, received my Ph.D. in the Goheen lab at the University of Wyoming, and did postdoctoral research in the Calabrese lab at the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding in Germany. I am now an Assistant Professor in the Wildlife Biology program in the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment. Aside from my research, I also work to increase access to science through open access, open science, and public media. When I'm not science-ing, I am usually reading, gardening, or exploring nature with my family.

Click here for my CV. Click here for my Google Scholar profile.

Celine Wandia Karoki

Celine is an M.Sc. student in Environmental Science at Kenyatta University, where she is studying how we can better conserve wildlife in landscapes dominated by humans. Celine grew up in Kajiado County, Kenya, and received her B.Sc. in Environmental Studies from Karatina University. She is a master multi-tasker—in addition to her M.Sc. work, she has a full-time job as an outreach officer for the Laikipia-Samburu Wild Dog Project and until recently was a research assistant for the Elephant Neighbors Center. When she is not studying or coordinating social media campaigns, Celine tries to spend her time outdoors or traveling.

Click here for Celine’s CV.

Margaret Mercer

Margaret is an M.Sc. student in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona, where she is studying carnivore conservation in southeastern Arizona. Margaret grew up in central California, and received her B.Sc. in Biology from Brigham Young University before working as a field technician for NEON. When she is not reading or writing about carnivores, Margaret enjoys singing, ballroom dancing, hiking, reading, and watching movies. Ask Margaret about her experience with cheetah obedience training.

Click here for Margaret’s CV.

Nadira Mitchell

Nadira is an Honors student in Wildlife Conservation and Management at the University of Arizona, where she is researching pathways for better integrating wildlife conservation practice across tribal and non-tribal lands. Nadira grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and has been a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar, a Fellow in the Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program, and Miss Native American University of Arizona. In her free time, she enjoys reading, making ribbon skirts, and spending time with her Mexican red-knee tarantula.

Click here for Nadira’s CV.

George LeGrange Opiyo

George is a M.Sc. student at Karatina University and a research technician at Mpala Research Centre, where he works for the UHURU experiment and is in the early stages of a research project on the movement behavior and habitat selection of rufous sengis (Elephantulus rufescens). He is a master small mammal handler, having worked with the National Museums of Kenya for years before starting work at Mpala. George grew up in Kisumu and received his B.Sc. in Natural Resources and Wildlife Management at Karatina University. In his free time, he enjoys basketball (he models his game after Kevin Durant and is known to wake up at 4 am to watch NBA playoff games) and cooking.

Click here for George’s CV.

Owino Otieno Raymond

Raymond is a Ph.D. student in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Arizona, where he is studying foraging ecology, population ecology, and human-wildlife conflict in giraffes and elephants. Raymond grew up in several different towns throughout Kenya and received his B.Sc. in Wildlife Management at Maasai Mara University. Raymond has an impressive track record in conservation already, having received several highly competitive awards including the Conservation Leadership Programme, the American Society of Mammalogists’ African Research Fellowship, and the Society for Conservation Biology’s Graduate Student Research Fellowship. In his free time, he enjoys meeting new people, learning new languages and cultures, cooking, tennis, and photography. Fun fact: Raymond has traveled to all but three counties in Kenya.

Click here for Raymond’s CV. Click here to read a Q&A on Raymond’s work from the SCB, and here for one from WildLabs.

Nikki Reck

Nikki is an undergraduate student in Wildlife Conservation and Management at the University of Arizona, where she is working with the US Forest Service to document the distribution of Arizona gray squirrels in southeastern Arizona and with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to organize scientific literature in some species’ recovery plans. Nikki is from Tucson, Arizona, and is an avid dog trainer (obedience, agility, and rally). Nikki has also spent much of her life as a performance and competitive dancer.

Click here for Nikki’s CV.

Brian Sanchez-Fishback

Brian is an undergraduate student in Wildlife Conservation and Management at the University of Arizona, where he is working with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to better understand pronghorn ecology in southeastern Arizona. Brian grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and worked as an Arabic linguist for the Navy before coming to UA. In his free time, he enjoys enjoy cooking, hunting, hiking, camping, collecting insects, and birding. He also plays the banjo.

Paige Satterfield

Paige is a research technician in the lab, where she bounces around between a variety of projects. She is a recent graduate of the Wildlife Conservation and Management program at the University of Arizona, where she did a senior capstone project on the costs and benefits of elevational migration for bighorn sheep. Paige grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, has worked with the African elephants at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, studied abroad in South Africa, and maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during college. In her free time, she enjoys reading, art, wildlife photography, and spending time in nature.

Click here for Paige’s CV.