Jesse Alston

Big data and rapidly improving statistical and computational tools are enabling researchers to answer previously unanswerable questions. I use these emerging tools to quantify the mechanisms that dictate how large mammals interact with each other and their environments, then apply that knowledge to conservation practice. My research program integrates movement ecology, thermal physiology, remote sensing, and conservation science to characterize how and why animals move across the landscapes they inhabit, identify data-driven pathways for wildlife-livestock coexistence, and develop new approaches for conserving wildlife and ecosystems. In my international work, I work to build in-country conservation capacity by partnering with regional organizations and training local graduate students to be future conservation leaders. 

I grew up in Littleton, North Carolina (pop. ~500), went to Davidson College for a BA in Environmental Studies (Economics minor), received my PhD in the Goheen lab at the University of Wyoming, and did postdoctoral research in the Calabrese lab at the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding in Germany. I am now an Assistant Professor in the Wildlife Conservation and Management program in the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment. When I am not science-ing, I am usually reading (favorite genre: westerns), watching the Green Bay Packers, or exploring nature with my family. Favorite mammal: Pseudois nayaur.

Click here for my CV. Click here for my Google Scholar profile.

Celine Wandia Karoki

Celine is an MSc student in Environmental Science at Kenyatta University, where she is studying patterns of livestock depredation in Laikipia, Kenya. Celine grew up in Kajiado County, Kenya, and received her BSc in Environmental Studies from Karatina University. In addition to her MSc work, she has a full-time job as an outreach officer for the Laikipia-Samburu Wild Dog Project. When she is not studying or coordinating social media campaigns, Celine tries to spend her time outdoors or traveling, although a recent addition to her family is curtailing those activities these days. Favorite mammal: Lycaon pictus.

Click here for Celine’s CV.

Eduardo Gracia Escalante

Eduardo is an MSc student in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona, where he is studying the impacts of the US-Mexico border wall on the mammal community of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. Eduardo grew up in Hermosillo, Sonora, and received his BSc in Biology from Universidad de Sonora before working as a wildlife technician in northern Sonora and restoration technician for Borderlands Restoration Network in Patagonia, AZ. When he is not exploring nature, Eduardo enjoys gardening, reading, and cooking. También le gusta ayudar a otros a aprender español. Favorite mammal: Leopardus pardalis.

Click here for Eduardo’s CV.

Margaret Mercer

Margaret is an MSc student in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona, where she is studying the influence of human activity on predator-prey relationships and bobcat interactions with roads in west Tucson. Margaret grew up in central California, and received her BSc in Biology from Brigham Young University before working as a field technician for NEON. When she is not reading or writing about carnivores, Margaret enjoys singing, ballroom dancing, hiking, reading, watching movies, and scouring UA’s campus for free lunch. Ask Margaret about her experience with cheetah obedience training. Favorite mammal: Panthera uncia.

Click here for Margaret’s CV.

George LeGrange Opiyo

George is an MSc student at Karatina University and research technician at Mpala Research Centre, where he works for the UHURU experiment and studies the movement behavior and habitat selection of rufous sengis (Galegeeska rufescens). He is a master small mammal handler, having worked with the National Museums of Kenya for years before starting work at Mpala. George grew up in Kisumu, Kenya, and received his BSc in Natural Resources and Wildlife Management at Karatina University. In his free time, he hones his basketball skills (modeling his game after Kevin Durant) and is known to wake up at 4 am to watch NBA playoff games. Favorite mammal: Tragelaphus imberbis.

Click here for George’s CV.

Owino Otieno Raymond

Raymond is a PhD student in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Arizona, where he is studying the ecology and conservation of reticulated giraffes and Guenther’s dik-diks, among other species. Raymond grew up in several different towns throughout Kenya and received his BSc in Wildlife Management at Maasai Mara University and MSc in Biology of Conservation from University of Nairobi. Raymond has an impressive track record in conservation already, having received several highly competitive awards including the Conservation Leadership Programme, the American Society of Mammalogists’ African Research Fellowship, and the Society for Conservation Biology’s Graduate Student Research Fellowship. In his free time, he enjoys meeting new people, learning new languages and cultures, cooking, tennis, and photography. Fun fact: Raymond has traveled to all but three counties in Kenya.

Click here for Raymond’s CV. Click here to read a Q&A on Raymond’s work from the SCB, and here for one from WildLabs.

Brian Sanchez-Fishback

Brian is an undergraduate student in Wildlife Conservation and Management at the University of Arizona, where he worked with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to estimate coyote densities on Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in 2023-2024 and is now assisting on our efforts to map wildlife presence across the Tucson metropolitan area. Brian grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and worked as an Arabic linguist for the Navy before coming to UA. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, hunting, hiking, camping, collecting insects, and birding. He also plays the banjo. Favorite mammal: Antilocapra americana.

Click here for Brian’s CV.

Paige Satterfield

Paige is a research technician in the lab, where she bounces around between a variety of projects, including bear captures (see above) and mountain lion kill site forensics. She is a recent graduate of the Wildlife Conservation and Management program at the University of Arizona, where she did an honors capstone project on the costs and benefits of elevational migration for bighorn sheep (which we are working to publish in a peer-reviewed journal) and was SNRE and CALES Outstanding Senior in Fall 2023. Paige grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, has worked with the African elephants at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, studied abroad in South Africa, and maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during college. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, baking, and wildlife photography. Favorite mammal: Acinonyx jubatus.

Click here for Paige’s CV.

Joao Weisshaupt

Joao is an undergraduate student in Wildlife Conservation and Management at the University of Arizona, where she is assisting on our efforts to map wildlife presence across the Tucson metropolitan area. Joao grew up in southern Germany, and did many handy things (mechanic work, farm labor, etc.) before coming to UA. In her free time, she enjoys restoring old furniture and vintage cars, as well as thrifting, cooking, and baking. She also plays the clarinet.

Click here for Joao’s CV.