STUDENT OFFICERS
Get to know us and our research ...
President
Name: Dante Munn(he/him)
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Vice President
Name: Ryan Rimple (he/him)
Advisors: Kasey Pregler and Karen Mabry
Dissertation: Evaluating outcrossing as a conservation strategy to aid in Gila trout recovery
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.
Contact Info: rjrimple@nmsu.edu
Expected Graduation: Fall 2028
Secretary
Name: Ella Englehard (she/her)
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Treasurer
Name: Daniel Horton (he/him)
Advisors: Martha Desmond and Fitsum Abadi Gebreselassie
Thesis: Impacts of Forest Management Practices on Pinyon Jay Site Selection and Pinyon-Juniper Songbird Community Structure
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.
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.
Contact Info: djhorton@nmsu.edu
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Mentorship Program Coordinator
Name: Alex Merchlinksy
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Website Manager & Social Chair
Name: Sara-Ashley Collins (she/her)
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