STUDENTS
Get to know us and our research ...
Name: Samantha Aguilar (she/her)
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Advisor: Martha Desmond
Thesis: Post-fledging ecology of Western bluebirds and Ash-throated flycatchers.
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Description: I am collaborating with Los Alamos National Laboratory to study the survival and movement ecology of juveniles and its implications regarding land management.
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About: I grew up in Gatesville, Texas and received my B.S. in Wildlife Sustainability and Ecosystem Sciences from Tarleton State University. My interest in wildlife began with the local 4-H plant ID team and continued to grow as I worked as a technician on a variety of projects during undergrad. My undergraduate research investigated biparental incubation in House sparrows across a temperature gradient, and following graduation I was a technician for an Eastern wild turkey study in South Carolina.
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Personal Interests: Birding, hiking, plant ID, and reading!
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Contact Info: sam1604@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Name: Juliemar Cuevas-Hernandez (she/her)
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Advisor: Martha Desmond
Thesis: The sensitivity of Sagebrush Sparrows (Artemisiospiza nevadensis) and Black-Throated Sparrows (Amphispiza bilineata) to shrub encroachment in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico
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Description: Assessing Sagebrush and Black-Throated Sparrow abundance and body condition across varying levels of shrub encroachment and vegetative characteristics within the Jornada Experimental Range
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About: I am originally from Puerto Rico and raised most of my life in Orlando, FL. I received my B.S. in Biology and double minored in Wildlife Ecology Conservation and Environmental Science at the University of Florida in 2022. Post-undergrad I worked within the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission monitoring shorebird and seabird breeding. I am interested in avian ecology with hopes of becoming an avian biologist in Florida. When I am not working, I enjoy baking and cake decorating, playing tennis, reading and going to the beach.​
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Contact Info: jcuevas2@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Fall 2026
Name: Paul Fedorowicz (he/him)
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Advisor: Kasey Pregler
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Thesis: Conservation genetics of Pecos Pupfish
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Description: I will be using RADSeq data to understand the genetic diversity of populations of Pecos Pupfish in Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
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About Paul: I grew up in Michigan and received my BS in Ecology and Evolutionary from the University of Michigan. After graduating, I worked in conservation of Salmon in Alaska, and Whitefishes in the Great Lakes region. My goal is ultimately to start up an academic lab studying conservation in western fishes.
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Contact Info: pfedora@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Name: Daniel Horton
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Advisors: Martha Desmond and Fitsum Abadi Gebreselassie
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Thesis: Impacts of Forest Management Practices on Pinyon Jay Site Selection and Pinyon-Juniper Songbird Community Structure
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Description: I am using a network of autonomous recording units (ARUs) to understand what factors influence site selection for pinyon jays in the McGregor Range of the Sacramento Mountains. I will be comparing occupancy at each ARU location using multiple habitat variables to fully understand pinyon jay habitat selection throughout the breeding and nonbreeding seasons. My second chapter will focus on assessing the efficacy of using ARUs in determining occupancy of pinyon-juniper songbirds by conducting point counts as well.
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About Daniel: I grew up in Lakewood, CO and received my BS in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University. Nearly a full year after graduating, I was able to finally start my career working on a Bendire’s Thrasher graduate study for the Desmond Lab here at NMSU. I then was able to secure a four-month position studying behavioral ecology of giant pandas in China – a job I interviewed for over video in the back seat of a field truck while camping in the desert. Since then, I have worked as a field biologist on threatened and endangered species across the world, including: Southeastern American Kestrels and Florida Scrub-Jays in central Florida, Streaked Horned Larks in western Washington, Black-throated and Silver-throated Tits in central China, and Chestnut-collared Longspurs in Oklahoma. Every other project I worked on involved counting birds and looking for nests – a recursive way to reinforce my love for birding.
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Contact Info: djhorton@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Name: Alex Merchlinsky
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Advisor: Martha Desmond
Thesis: Impacts of Energy Development on Bendire's Thrasher Movement and Breeding Ecology
Description: I will be using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to evaluate the effects of transmission line construction on territory selection, survival, and dispersal of Bendire's thrasher, as well as studying the species' natural history unrelated to energy development.
About Alex: I grew up in Germantown, MD, just outside of Washington, DC, and received a BS in Wildlife Ecology and Management from Auburn University in 2020. As an undergraduate, I ran a research project studying the effects of soil and air warming on forest ant communities in the southeast. Following graduation, I spent 3 years working as a technician on a variety of projects throughout the country, focusing mostly on birds and small mammals. In the future, I hope to conduct research focused on conservation and the mediation of coexistence between humans and wildlife.
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Contact Info: amerch@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Name: Julia Nelson (she/her)
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Advisor: Kelly Jones
Thesis: Access, participation, and equity in forest management initiatives; examining woodbanks in New Mexico
Description: Woodbanks are an initiative that connect people that need and use firewood with sources of firewood. There is a need for firewood among tribal communities, rural communities, land grant communities, and off-grid communities. Within New Mexico, there has been a newer large collaborative effort to utilize the woody biomass produced during USFS mechanical fire mitigation treatments for use in these woodbanks. I will be collaborating on a needs analysis for firewood within New Mexico as well as conducting interviews and surveys of collaborators of this initiative to examine the access, barriers, and participation within woodbanks.
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About Julia: I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and received a BS in Biology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During my undergraduate studies and the following years, I worked a series of various wildlife and fishery positions throughout the western US. This included studying in Namibia researching the use of drones in anti-poaching efforts, working with birds in Yellowstone, marmots in the Colorado rockies, salmonids in Washington, documenting stream conditions in Montana, monitoring swift fox in eastern Montana, and studying the beautiful but endangered San Francisco garter snake. In my graduate studies, my focus is now on researching the human dimensions of conservation utilizing a multidisciplinary approach. I am an avid backpacker, I’ve hiked the 2,600 mi of the Pacific Crest Trail and other trails along the Oregon coast, the WY Wind River range, and through Idaho. I enjoy any form of visual art including painting, drawing, and printmaking!
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Contact Info: jnels@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Name: Dylan Osterhaus
Advisor: Martha Desmond
*Co-advised by Timothy Wright
Dissertation: Light Pollution and Climate Change: Potential Impacts on Avian Migration
Description: Using acoustic analysis and weather radar, I am examining how artificial light at night may be impacting avian migration under various lighting strategies and weather conditions. Additionally, using long-term weather radar data, I am tracking how avian migration has shifted in response to climate change.
About Dylan: I grew up in eastern Kansas and received a B.S. in Ecology from Emporia State University in 2019. Immediately following graduation, I began my M.S. research at Iowa State University, working with a federally listed fish species, the Topeka Shiner. My research at Iowa State helped to inform management decisions as to how and where habitat should be restored for this endangered species. For my PhD, I am shifting my focus from aquatic to avian! Over the past five years I have become very interested in birds and am very excited to pursue them as a research subject. In my free time I enjoy birding, hiking, bird photography, and spending as much time as possible outdoors.
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Contact Info: dylano@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Fall 2025
Name: Ryan Rimple (he/him)
Advisors: Kasey Pregler and Karen Mabry
Dissertation: Evaluating outcrossing as a conservation strategy to aid in Gila trout recovery (note: dissertation
Description: I will be evaluating a management action undertaken by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to increase genetic diversity in imperiled Gila trout by mixing genetically-distinct lineages of the species as part of a mixed-source reintroduction. We will collect extensive genetic samples from the reintroduced population and employ molecular analyses to evaluate its genetic structure and reproductive success in the system.
About Ryan: I grew up in northeast Pennsylvania and received my B.S. in Wildlife Conservation from Juniata College. While an undergraduate I researched turtle natural history, and worked on conservation and management projects for imperiled turtle species. I then received a M.S. from the University of Georgia where I studied eastern box turtle translocations. I’m broadly interested in applied conservation research, especially evaluating management actions meant to recover imperiled species. In my free time I enjoy cooking, hunting, fishing, and any other excuse to get outside.
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Contact Info: rjrimple@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Fall 2028
Name: Iona Rohan (she/her)
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Advisors: Jennifer Frey and Theresa Laverty
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Thesis: Effects of Wind Energy Development on Terrestrial Mammals
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Description: I will be using camera traps and occupancy modeling to compare terrestrial mammal communities on wind farms pre and post development and in control areas in central New Mexico.
About Iona: I grew up on Whidbey Island in Washington State and spent a lot of time outdoors, which sparked my interest in conservation and wildlife from a young age. I attended the University of Washington where I studied Environmental Science with a focus on wildlife conservation. My senior year of undergrad I volunteered in a wildlife genetics lab which led my undergraduate research project, estimating coyote population density in eastern Washington. I then worked as a field technician on the Washington Predator-Prey Project, investigating wolf GPS clusters and monitoring ungulates using radiotelemetry. Next, I worked for two seasons as a wildlife technician for the US Forest Service, mainly monitoring northern spotted owls using ARUs. My goal is to work for a state or federal agency in the future as a large mammal biologist.
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Contact Info: irohan@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Spring 2025
Name: Maggy Walrath (she/her)
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Advisors: Wiebke Boeing and Kelly Jones
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Thesis: Public acceptance and interest in multifunctional solar opportunities on public land in the southwest U.S.A.
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Description: I will be conducting interviews of solar industry stakeholders and a survey of Las Cruces community members to determine what multifunctional land use solar project designs the community would be most interested in seeing on the local landscape.
About Maggy: I grew up in Connecticut and received my B.S. from the University of Connecticut in Natural Resources and the Environment with a concentration in Environmental Sustainability and Conservation. During and after my time as an undergraduate, I worked as a research assistant on various wildlife, environmental, and community-based human dimensions projects using primarily qualitative methodologies. My career interest is human dimensions of natural resources and working to sustainably navigate the complex relationships between humans and our natural environment. My goal is to work in a state or federal agency that manages wild spaces for their natural inhabitants and their human visitors. My personal interests include scuba diving, reading, board games, and visiting national parks.
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Contact Info: maggyw@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Name: Whitney Watson (she/her)
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Advisor: Abby Lawson
*Co-advised by Tim Wright
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Dissertation: Inferring rosy-finch demography and breeding distribution trends from long-term wintering data in New Mexico
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Description: I am studying multiple aspects of rosy-finch (Leucosticte spp.) ecology using a long-term wintering dataset collected in the Sandia Mountains outside Albuquerque. My work includes demographic modeling using mark-recapture data, evaluation of RFID technology as a tool for rosy-finch population monitoring, and using hydrogen stable isotope analysis of feathers to infer breeding origins of rosy-finches captured on wintering grounds.
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About Whitney: I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota
and received a B.A. in Biology from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN where I developed an interest in ecology and evolutionary biology. After graduating, I worked in forestry and wildlife management at Three Rivers Park District in Minnesota and subsequently assisted on several ecological research projects across the US including studies on prairie plants, ground squirrels, flying squirrels, deer, and owls. I received my master's degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022 where I studied bioacoustic occupancy and natal dispersal of invasive barred owls in coastal California. I am broadly interested in avian population and movement ecology. In my free time I enjoy hiking, kayaking, exploring new places, birding, knitting, video games, baking, and cuddling my cats.
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Contact Info: wwatson@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Fall 2026
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Name: Holly Whited (she/her/hers)
Advisor: Theresa Laverty
Thesis: Nightly foraging movements and diet phenology of Lesser long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) in the Sonoran Desert, USA.
Description: My project will be using MOTUS wildlife tracking to determine the nightly foraging movements of L. yerbabuenae, a migratory nectar-feeding bat in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona. Additionally, I will be collecting data on the phenology of flowering columnar cacti and agave that these bats feed on and comparing it to pollen and fecal samples of captured bats to determine if the availability of these plants on the landscape is equally reflected in their dietary choices throughout the summer and amongst demographic groups.
About Holly: I grew up next door to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee and discovered my passion for wildlife and the outdoors while growing up in a rural area. I’ve traveled across most of North America and always kept my love of the wilderness and wild things close wherever I have gone. My traveling inspired me to go back to school in my late 20s and I received my B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Management from the University of Tennessee in 2022. While an undergraduate there, I worked as a biodiversity intern for Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, a lab research assistant, as well as doing field work under several graduate student-led projects where I developed a fondness for bats and bat research (although I have experience with a variety of species). After graduating I worked for a consulting company doing surveys for bats across the Eastern US before moving across the country and starting my Master’s in Fish, Wildlife & Conservation Ecology at NMSU in August 2023. In my free time I enjoy live music concerts & festivals, reading, hiking, camping, kayaking, bird/wildlife watching, and traveling!
Interests/Experience: Bat ecology and conservation, movement ecology, radiotelemetry, avian ecology, habitat management, anthropogenic change, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, mentorship, field skills.
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Contact Info: hwhited@nmsu.edu
Expected Graduation: Fall 2025
Name: Heather Zimba (she/her/hers)
Advisor: Abby Lawson
Thesis: Movement Patterns and Habitat Selection of Translocated Bolson Tortoises (Gopherus flavomarginatus) in Southern New Mexico
Description: I am collaborating with the Turner Endangered Species Fund, Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service to study the ecology and reintroduction potential of Bolson tortoises in New Mexico. Specifically my research is focused on understanding the movement patterns and habitat selection of translocated juvenile Bolson tortoises. I hope through my research to provide recommendations for future Bolson tortoise translocations in New Mexico.
About Heather: Heather grew up in Cooperstown and Jamestown, New York. She first completed a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Sociology at SUNY Fredonia in 2013. After working for a few years, Heather decided to go back to school and completed first an associate degree in Environmental Science at SUNY Jamestown Community College in 2017, and then earned a second B.S. in Conservation Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 2019. She has worked for several universities and the U.S. Geological Survey on a variety of research projects studying various flora and fauna, including the New England cottontail, Greater Sage-grouse, and desert tortoise.
Interests/Experience: hiking, climbing, herping, kayaking, and going on nature walks!
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Contact Info: hzimba@nmsu.edu
Expected Graduation: Spring 2025