Dr. Elizabeth A. HunterAssistant Unit Leader - U.S. Geological Survey Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
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Dr. Kevin LoopeResearch ScientistIn the Hunter Lab, I work on gopher tortoise conservation and management. We have ongoing projects examining the mating and nesting behavior of tortoises in natural and in translocated populations. At Nokuse Preserve in the panhandle of Florida, we use translocated populations as proxies to understand how tortoises may respond to environmental change. A new project at Nokuse examines how an individual’s site of origin may influence the interaction of overwintering behavior, reproduction and survival in a novel environment. In a past life, my research focused on understanding the evolution and ecology of social insects, particularly wasps and bees. I studied their behavior, chemical communication, and disease ecology, and still maintain side projects and collaborations on social insect behavior. In my free time, I enjoy hiking and birdwatching in the mountains around Blacksburg.
email: kjloope_AT_vt.edu Personal Website Google Scholar ResearchGate |
Dr. Max JonesPostdoctoral ResearcherAlthough my research interests are broad, my research questions typically focus on the ecology and evolution of reptiles. I am particularly interested in the spatial and movement ecology of wildlife populations, in relation to anthropogenic features and other obstacles within a landscape. In the Hunter Lab, I work on quantitative spatial ecology projects aimed at developing methods for monitoring translocated gopher tortoise populations. I am also developing R resources for optimizing timber harvest scheduling. Outside of research, I enjoy hiking and herping.
Email: [email protected] ResearchGate Google Scholar |
Dr. Justin BeallPostdoctoral AssociateBroadly, my research focuses on understanding the factors that influence pro-environmental behaviors and designing interventions that can promote both individual and collective action to address natural resource issues. I have examined these relationships in a variety of contexts including recreation, sustainable tourism, human-wildlife conflict, and environmental communication. During my time at Virginia Tech, I will be working with an interdisciplinary team on a research project that aims to develop and test a socio-ecological model of sea-level rise along the mid-Atlantic coastal region of the eastern United States. I will help examine how several factors (e.g., social, economic, psychological) might influence the decisions of coastal landowners in the face of sea-level rise (retreat, resist, or adapt). We will also examine how accounting for the decisions of coastal landowners influences the model. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, canoeing, songwriting, and performing music.
Email: jmbeall_AT_vt.edu |
Garrett LawsonM.S. StudentAt a very young age I discovered my passion for wildlife and the outdoors. That passion quickly grew into a love and fascination of reptiles and amphibians that has shaped my adult life and professional goals. My research interests today focus on ecological research that informs conservation and management decisions to allow for better persistence or recovery of herpetofaunal species of conservation concern. In the Hunter lab, I am investigating gopher tortoise nest site selection at the Jones Ecological Research Center in Southwest Georgia. Nesting, incubation, and early life are periods of high mortality for many turtle species, including gopher tortoises. Further understanding of these periods allows habitat managers to better conserve gopher tortoise populations and the populations of many other imperiled reptile and amphibian species that rely on their burrows for survival. In my free time, I enjoy herping, birding, and hiking.
Email: [email protected] Google Scholar ResearchGate |
Zoie McMillianPhD StudentI have always had a deep love for animals and a passion for learning about the various ways in which I can serve them. My master’s degree studies were centered around poultry welfare and my past research consisted of investigating whether broiler welfare on commercial farms in eastern Maryland could be improved by increasing air flow with industrial circulation fans. While I have a background in animal welfare and behavior, wildlife species have always fascinated me the most; I have a specific interest in reptile conservation. I am happy to come back to Virginia Tech and join the Hunter lab, where I will be researching ecological aspects of turtle conservation in Virginia along with a focus on the human dimensions of conservation to better understand and prevent the illegal collection and trade of native turtles in North America. My conservation interests include wildlife threatened by invasive species, contaminants, and climate change, as well as the wildlife trade. I love outdoor activities, such as hiking and swimming, and I enjoy spending time with others who are also passionate about observing and serving wildlife.
Email: zoiee23_AT_vt.edu |
Lainey MetzPhD StudentI am a PhD student working to understand what life cycle stages may be driving declines in Cerulean Warblers by integrating existing data into population models. I joined the Hunter Lab after finishing my Master’s degree at Southern Illinois University where I used acoustic recorders to study the nocturnal (and very loud) Whip-poor-will and Chuck-will’s-widow. My experience hiking the 2,200-mile Appalachian trail shaped my desire to work with and preserve nature and I relish the opportunity to participate in applied science work. In my free time, I love to spend time outdoors, knit new projects, and revive discount-section orchids.
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Bridget RePhD StudentMost of my research has focused on species-habitat relationships under changing climate conditions to inform conservation management decisions. My past research includes overwinter survival of moose calves in relation to site selection in Maine, monitoring New Hampshire’s breeding Common Loon population on Lake Winnipesaukee, and monitoring population metrics for Common and Roseate Tern colonies off the coast of Massachusetts. Much like the birds I love to study, I’ve migrated south to join the Hunter lab where my research will be centered around delineating the distribution of breeding Saltmarsh Sparrows on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and understanding the effect of sea level rise, marsh migration, and predation on Saltmarsh Sparrow demography. In my free time, I like to hike, cook, and daydream about when I’ll be able to have a dog.
Email: bre11_AT_vt.edu |
Dan WatsonM.S. StudentMy interests and passions lie with avian ecology, conservation, and management. I have been involved in a variety of avian research projects including migration banding stations, breeding bird atlases, and projects focused on species such as Barred Owls, Golden-winged Warblers, and Ruffed Grouse. I am particularly drawn to research with early-successional obligate species. In the Hunter Lab, I am integrating point count surveys with autonomous recording unit (ARU) data to create occupancy and density models to compare avian habitat use between different early-successional habitats. In my free time, I like birding, photography, and playing guitar.
email: danwatson_AT_vt.edu |
Alondra Medina CharriezResearch AssistantI am a field ecologist trying to understand how anthropogenic climate change affects the natural world. My main research interests revolve around community ecology and the conservation of species experiencing rapid population declines, such as birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Some of my previous work involved assessing the prevalence of avian malaria in Bananaquits in urban forests in Puerto Rico. I’ve also studied how Collared peccaries served as ecosystem engineers to amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica. More recently, I studied how soil nutrient stoichiometry affected the community assemblage and abundance of reptiles and amphibians across lowland wet tropical forests in Central and South America. In the Hunter Lab, I am working as a research assistant creating prescribed burning scenarios for the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge that will help maintain pine savanna habitat with the goal of improving multispecies occupancy of near threatened bird species such as the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman’s Sparrow and Northern Bobwhite. In my free time, I like exploring new hiking spots, birdwatching, kayaking, playing video games and spending time with friends.
email: amedina21_AT_vt.edu |
Lab Alumni |
Corina Newsome
M.S. 2021 - Georgia Southern University "PREDATION THREAT IN A VARIABLE LANDSCAPE: CONNECTING PREDATION RISK TO NESTING SUCCESS FOR THE SEASIDE SPARROW (AMMOSPIZA MARITIMA MACGILLIVRAII)" Current position: Associate Conservation Scientist, National Wildlife Federation Nicole DeSha M.S. 2021 - Georgia Southern University "LACK OF PLASTICITY IN GOPHER TORTOISE (GOPHERUS POLYPHEMUS) NESTING BEHAVIOR AND FECUNDITY IN A TRANSLOCATED POPULATION" Current position: Gopher Tortoise Monitoring Coordinator, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Abbie Dwire M.S. 2021 - Georgia Southern University "Habitat use of wintering Henslow’s Sparrows (Centronyx henslowii) in power line right-of-ways" Current position: Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Forest Service Cory Allred M.S. 2023 - Virginia Tech "Using Remote Sensing Data to Predict Habitat Occupancy of Pine Savanna Bird Species" Current position: Wildlife Biologist, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks |