STUDENT OFFICERS
Get to know us and our research ...
President
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Name: Taylor Pichler (he/him)
Advisor: Theresa Laverty
Thesis: TBD
Description:
About Taylor:
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Contact Info: @nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation:
Vice President
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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.
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Contact Info: rjrimple@nmsu.edu
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Expected Graduation: Fall 2028
Secretary
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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 Juliemar: 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
Treasurer
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Name: Daniel Horton (he/him)
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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
Working Group Coordinator
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
WILD Leadership
Name: Megan Lemmo (she/her)
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Advisors:
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Thesis:
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Description:
About Megan:
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Contact Info:
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Expected Graduation:
Website Manager & Social Chair
Name: Maggy Walrath (she/her)
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Advisors: Wiebke Boeing and Kelly Jones
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Thesis: Social acceptance of multifunctional large-scale solar arrays on public land in the southwest
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Description: I will be conducting interviews with solar industry stakeholders and a survey of southwestern residents to determine which multifunctional land use solar project designs communities would be most interested in seeing on their public 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: Summer 2026