Richard Finger, M.S. Student; Hometown – Black Diamond, Washington; Thesis: Reproductive ecology of the mottled duck in Texas; Current position: Lands Operations Manager, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ephrata, Washington
J. Dale James, PhD Student; Hometown – Florence, South Carolina; Dissertation: Utilization of shoalgrass resources and nutritional ecology of wintering redheads in the Laguna Madre, Texas; Current position: Director of Conservation Planning, Ducks Unlimited, Southern Regional Office, Ridgeland, Mississippi
Elizabeth Bates, M.S. Student; Hometown – Cincinnati, Ohio; Thesis: Genetic diversity and population structure of the reddish egret along the Texas coast; Current position: Conservation Initiatives Specialist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, New Braunfels, Texas
J. Tye Anderson, M.S. Student; Hometown – Malvern, Arkansas; Thesis: Survival, habitat use, and movements of northern pintails wintering along the Texas coast; Current position: Regional Director, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Russelville, Arkansas
Arlene Arnold, M.S. Student; Hometown – Sarasota Springs, New York; Thesis: Chronology and terrestrial habitat use by migrating birds in southern Texas; Current position: Migratory Bird Biologist, U.S. Department of Defense, Italy
Owen Fitzsimmons, M.S. Student; Hometown – Diana, Texas; Thesis: Ecological implications of marsh management to wetland birds; Current position: Webless Migratory Game Bird Program Leader, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, San Marcos, Texas
Amy Turner, PhD Student; Hometown: Austin, TX; Dissertation: Dynamics of wading bird colonies along the Texas coast; Current position: Director of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability, University of the South; Sewanee, Tennessee
Elizabeth Bates, PhD Student; Hometown – Cincinnati, Ohio; Dissertation: Foraging ecology of the reddish egret in the Laguna Madre, Texas; Current position: Conservation Initiatives Specialist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, New Braunfels, Texas
Erin Wehland, PhD Student; Hometown – Fairmont, Nebraska; Dissertation: Seasonal survival and post-breeding habitat use of the mottled duck; Current position: Wildlife Biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Lampasas, Texas.
Mike Mitchell, M.S. Student; Hometown – Coruna, Michigan; Thesis: Delineation of coastal marsh types along the Texas coast; Current position: GIS Specialist, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
Lianne Koczur, M.S. Student; Hometown: Ware Massachusetts; Thesis: Reproductive ecology of American oysterchatchers along the Texas coast; Current position: Director of Science and Conservation, Birmingham Audubon, Birmingham, Alabama
Suzanne Contreras, PhD Student; Hometown – Austin, TX; Dissertation: Assessing bird migration dynamics along the lower Texas coast using radar Current Employment: Director of Transportation Planning, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX
Corey Lange, M.S. Student; Hometown – Lenox, Iowa; Thesis: Impacts of wind energy on redheads wintering in the Laguna Madre, Texas; Current position: Wildlife Biologist, Bureau of Land Management, Las Vegas, Nevada
Nate Huck, M.S. Student; Hometown – Berlin, Wisconsin; Thesis: Relationship between diet and habitat use by female northern pintails; Current position: Waterfowl Program Leader, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Anastasia Krainyk, PhD Student; Hometown – Bernardsville, New Jersey; Dissertation: Development of a decision support tool for mottled duck conservation; Current position: Research Biologist, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel Maryland
Taylor Yerrick, M.S. Student; Hometown – Clarence Center, New York; Thesis: Evaluating an avian radar system to monitor bird migration; Current position: High School Science Teacher, Buffalo, New York
Matthew Garrick, M.S. Student; Hometown – Ames, Iowa; Thesis: Nutrient reserve dynamics of female northern pintails wintering along the Texas coast; Current position: Waterfowl Program Leader, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska
Lianne Koczur, PhD Student; Hometown – Ware, Massachusetts; Dissertation: Movement ecology of adult reddish egrets; Current position: Director of Science and Conservation, Birmingham Audubon, Birmingham, Alabama
Emily Wells, M.S. Student; Hometown – Sebastopol, California; Thesis: Winter habitat use of sandhill cranes along the Texas coast; Current position: Conservation Program Manager, Staten Island for Conservation Farms and Ranches, Thornton, California
Samantha Wolfe, M.S. Student; Hometown – Hoffman Estates, Illinois; Thesis: Habitat associations of migratory birds in South Texas; Current position: Habitat and Rangeland Ecology Technician, USDA, Burns, Oregon
Jay VonBank, PhD Student; Hometown – Jordan, Minnesota; Dissertation: Movement ecology of greater white-fronted geese; Current position: Research Biologist, USGS, Northern Prairie Science Center, Bismarck, North Dakota
Contact Information
Bart M. Ballard
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
(361) 593-3954
bart.ballard@tamuk.edu
