WILD MENTORSHIP
Connecting undergraduates with graduate mentors...
The goal of the WILD mentorship program is to pair undergraduate students interested in agriculture, fisheries, wildlife, botany, and biological sciences with graduate student mentors. We believe that one-on-one mentoring will provide advice and support to undergraduates as they seek to achieve their career aspirations and graduate school goals. In turn, this relationship provides valuable leadership experience for graduate students. By encouraging and fostering a passion for biological sciences, we aim to prepare the next generation of biologists to enter and enrich the field.
Graduate Mentors
Meet our mentors!
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: 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.
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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: Holly Whited (she/her/hers)
Advisor: Theresa Laverty
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Thesis: Nightly foraging movements and diet phenology of Lesser long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) in the Sonoran Desert, USA
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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.
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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
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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