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Conservation Biology
M.S., M.P.S. & Ph.D.

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This area entails study and maintenance of biological diversity at the level of genes, populations, communities, ecosystems and biomes; intellectual underpinnings include evolutionary theory, systematic biology, population biology and ecosystem science. Conservation biology seeks ways to integrate biological principles with social, economic and political perspectives to achieve conservation goals.

The field is a response of the scientific community to the biodiversity crisis. Conservation biologists view nature’s diversity as important and having inherent value. Training in this field includes experience with the fundamental disciplines and theory of conservation biology, as well as specialization in conservation issues. Students are encouraged to explore the human dimensions of biological conservation through coursework in other departments of the College, and to acquire firsthand experience in the application of biological knowledge to problems by working for a conservation agency. Students find employment in a variety of government and private conservation agencies and in academic institutions. Many also work as administrators, policymakers, teachers and communicators. Current research areas in conservation biology include global climate change, endangered species biology, conservation genetics theory and practice, behavioral ecology, habitat fragmentation, restoration ecology, exotic species biology and control, forest and wetland ecosystem management, tropical ecology, ecological monitoring, conservation education and harvest management.

Participating Faculty

Martin Dovciak; mdovciak@esf.edu
plant ecology, forest ecology, biodiversity, global change ecology, spatial ecology, ecosystem management & restoration, plant diversity
Danilo D. Fernando; fernando@esf.edu
plant reproductive biology, plant structure and development, in vitro fertilization in conifers, pollen transformation, genomics and proteomics of pollen tube development, willow flowering and genomics, genetic diversity, rare and endangered plants, plant reproductive biology, plant development, plant diversity
Melissa K. Fierke; mkfierke@esf.edu
forest entomology, forest ecology, invasive forest pests, insect-tree interactions, tree defenses
Jacqueline Frair; jfrair@esf.edu
vertebrate and landscape ecology, wildlife and landscape ecology, animal movements and habitat use, predator-prey interactions
James Gibbs; jpgibbs@esf.edu
herpetology, vertebrate conservation biology, genetics and ecology in birds, reptiles and amphibians, songbirds, giant tortoise, statistics, wildlife population monitoring, galapagos islands, conservation biology, ecological monitoring, population genetics, applied demography, undergraduate conservation education
Charles A. Hall; chall@esf.edu
systems ecology, meaning synthetic studies of populations and ecosystems, including studies of fish migrations, estuaries, tropical land use change and energetics of both natural and human-dominated ecosystems. Emphasis on measuring and modeling human-dominated ecosystems and geographic modeling as well as biophysical and ecological economics, GIS, energy, general systems thinking, coupled human and natural systems
Thomas R. Horton; trhorton@esf.edu
mycorrhizal plant ecology, molecular ecology, ecology, fungal communities, mycology, fire ecology
Robin W. Kimmerer; rkimmer@esf.edu
plant restoration ecology, bryology, bryoecology, restoration ecology, ethnobotany, conservation biology and bryophyte ecology, traditional ecological knowledge
Donald J. Leopold; djleopold@esf.edu
forest and freshwater wetland ecology, conservation, and restoration, peatland ecology and conservation, local and regional controls of species richness and rarity, dynamics of plant communities as affected by man and environment, management for unique communities and rare species, dendrology, native plants, restoration ecology, rare species conservation
Karin E. Limburg; klimburg@esf.edu
riverine fish and estuarine ecology, fisheries ecology, watershed ecology, systems ecology, ecological economics, fisheries and ecosystem science, coupled human-natural systems, biogeochemistry, fisheries ecology, ecosystem ecology, biogeochemical tracers, modeling
Mark V. Lomolino; island@esf.edu
conservation biology, wildlife, ecology, evolution and biogeography
Stacy A. McNulty; smcnulty@esf.edu
forest ecology, landscape ecology, long-term monitoring, and applied geographic information systems. focused on exploring long-term changes, biodiversity conservation in the northern forest, and impacts of recreation, development, and forest management in the adirondack mountains and northern forest, phenology, amphibians, beaver, songbirds, white-tailed deer, animal movements and habitat use, wildlife management
Dylan Parry; dparry@esf.edu
population dynamics and evolutionary ecology of defoliating Lepidoptera and their natural enemies (predators, parasitoids, and pathogens), invasive species in forested environments, insect-plant interactions, conservation of moths and butterflies, forest entomology, biological control
William A. Powell; wapowell@esf.edu
forest biotechnology, molecular plant-microbe interactions, genetic engineering in plant conservation, antimicrobial peptide design, plant gene design, plant pathology, molecular biology
Neil H. Ringler; neilringler@esf.edu
fish ecology and behavior, foraging behavior of fishes, salmon reproduction, vertebrate anatomy, aquatic insect ecology, stream ecology and management, aquatic and fisheries restoration, aquatic entomology
Sadie J. Ryan; sjryan@esf.edu
disease and landscape ecology, wildlife conservation biology, public health, climate change
Kimberly L. Schulz; kschulz@syr.edu
nutrient and exotic species effects on aquatic ecosystems, ecological stoichiometry, aquatic community and ecosystem ecology, bioenergetics, nutrient cycling, lower food web studies, great lakes, finger lakes, plankton, limnology, aquatic ecology, biogeochemistry, invasive species
William M. Shields; wms1@syr.edu
animal behavior, evolution and genetics, evolution of animal communication and dispersal systems, effects of genetic constraints on the evolution of social behavior, sociobiology and behavioral ecology, the use of DNA in identity testing and conservation biology, the interface between science and the law, conservation theory, behavior in birds and mammals, forensic DNA analysis
Donald Stewart; djstewart@esf.edu
ecology and systematics, lake systems ecology, aquatic ecology, fish conservation, ecology and population biology in tropical and temperate systems, fish ecology and fisheries management, ecological energetics, modeling predation and production processes, Great Lakes ecosystems, Amazonian ecosystems, ecology and systematics of neotropical freshwater fishes
Stephen A. Teale; sateale@esf.edu
forest entomology, insect behavior, pheromones of forest insects, insect ecology, pest management, chemical ecology, evolution of pheromone communications
J. Scott Turner; jsturner@syr.edu
animal physiology, physiological ecology, thermal energetics, biology of body size, physiology of gas exchange
Brian Underwood; hbunderw@syr.edu
wildlife ecology, deer, small mammals, songbirds, quantitative ecology and biostatistics, population surveys, ecological modeling and simulation, national park management, applied population analysis, life-history evolution, trophic dynamics, large mammal management
Alexander Weir; alexw@esf.edu
conservation mycology, fungal biodiversity and conservation, fungal-arthropod interactions, biology of parasites and symbionts, systematics and evolutionary biology of fungi, fungi and humans, biology of parasites and symbionts

Current Graduate Students in Conservation Biology

Current Students

Only currently registered students appear—new student names are added at the start of the academic year.

Carissa Alza cmalza@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): McNulty and Stella	Undergraduate Institute: Millersville University of PA (Biological Sciences) Personal Statement I am interested in all things science and nature. I think the world is full of questions waiting to be asked and we have an obligation to seek the answers. And maybe, if we're lucky, we can make things better. Graduate Research Topic My research examines how avian species richness, composition, and guild diversity vary between beaver-impacted and non-impacted riparian zones within the central Adirondack Mountains. I am also examining how avian community structure changes as beaver ponds undergo successional changes. I will also be looking at vegetative structure and habitat variables to make links between beaver impacts and witnessed avian usage. Favorite Quote "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."-Mahatma Gandhi
James Arrigoni Jr. jearrigo@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Gibbs	Previous Graduate Study: SUNY ESF (EFB ) Home Page http://www.esf.edu/efb/gibbs/JA.htm
Laura Brown lrbrow02@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MPS Advisor(s): Leopold	Undergraduate Institute: SUNY ESF (Biology) Favorite Quote "We cannot win this battle to save species and environments without forging an emotional bond between ourselves and nature as well - for we will not fight to save what we do not love." -Stephen Jay Gould
Shannon Buckley shbuck01@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): McNulty	Undergraduate Institute: Willamette University (Biology) Research As a Master’s student in Conservation Biology at ESF, my research focuses on declining neotropical migrant songbird species breeding in the Adirondack region. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in biology and Spanish from Willamette University in Oregon (2009), I have worked as a field technician studying Willow Flycatchers in California’s southern Sierra, as a naturalist intern at Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm in Ohio, and on a project with Cerulean Warblers in the Appalachian hills. I enjoy hiking, running, painting and playing cello.
Ana Calderon Quinonez acaldero@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Gibbs and Frair
Anand Chaudhary anchaudh@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Cohen	Undergraduate Institute: Tri-Chandra College (Zoology) Previous Graduate Study: Tribhuvan University (Zoology ) Personal Statement I come from an indigenous Tharu tribe from south western Nepal. I believe conservation can work for both people and wildlife. I love life in all shape size and form and advocate for all species on earth to get a fair chance of survival.
James Costello jecost01@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Kimmerer	Undergraduate Institute: Clarkson University ( ) Previous Graduate Study: ( )
Frances Delaney fdelaney@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Leopold	Undergraduate Institute: Clarkson University (Biology)
Michael Fishman msfishma@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Gibbs	Undergraduate Institute: Cornell University (Natural Resources)
William Helenbrook wdhelenb@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Shields and Whipps	Undergraduate Institute: SUNY Center Buffalo Previous Graduate Study: SUNY College Buffalo (Biology ) Home Page http://www.esf.edu/efb/grad/Helenbrook.htm
Brent Johnson bdjohn01@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Gibbs	Undergraduate Institute: SUNY ESF Home Page Web Link
Jaime Jones jbjone01@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Leopold	Undergraduate Institute: University of North Carolina Asheville (Biology) Links Upper Susquehanna Coalition Vernal Pool Program Graduate Research Topic My research focuses on quantifying the plant species diversity and composition of created and natural vernal pools in the southern tier of New York, and investigating the abiotic and biotic factors influencing vernal pool plant assemblages. This work is done in cooperation with the Upper Susquehanna Coalition. Favorite Quote "More education can help us only if it produces more wisdom." -E.F. Schumacher Home Page http://sites.google.com/site/jaimebjones/
Stefan Karkuff skarkuff@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Stella and Leopold	Graduate Research Topic I am interested in understanding the nutrient benefits of allochthonous leaf litter in Northeastern US vernal pool ecosystems. My goal is to quantify the nutritional value of various leaf species using physical, chemical, and biological indicators. These unique microecosystems are typically found in heavily shaded forests, and therefore lack the primary production benefits of most larger wetlands. Thus, this project will contribute significantly to our understanding of the controlling influence of stand composition and structure on forest wetlands. My results will have direct relevance to agencies engaged in vernal pool creation and wetland mitigation. Favorite Quote "Go climb a mountain"
Natasha Karniski nlkarnis@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Lomolino	Undergraduate Institute: University of Illinois Urbana* (Biological Sciences)
Chellby Kilheffer crkilhef@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Underwood
Sahila Kudalkar sdkudalk@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Gibbs
Christa LeGrande cllegran@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MPS Advisor(s): Frair
Timothy McCoy tjmccoy@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): McNulty	Undergraduate Institute: SUNY ESF (Conservation Bio) Graduate Research Topic I am conducting a study on the diet of the American marten (Martes americana) population in the Adirondacks. Through this study I hope to flesh out the relationships that martens have with important prey items including small mammals and masting tree species. Certain small mammal species and certain tree species exhibit pulse driven cycles. I want to know what role the marten plays in these cycles and how the marten benefits or declines from these interactions. Favorite Quote The worst thing that will probably happen—in fact is already well underway—is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us — Edward O. Wilson Home Page Web Link
Jessica Miller jlmill14@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MPS Advisor(s): Rundell	Undergraduate Institute: SUNY ESF (Con Bio)
Mikhail Paltsyn mypaltsy@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Gibbs
Juliana Quant jmquant@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Dovciak and Leopold	Graduate Research Topic Forest communities along soil, acid deposition, and climate gradients of the Appalachian Trail Home Page http://www.esf.edu/efb/grad/Quant.htm Undergraduate Institute Ithaca College
Patrick Raney paraney@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Leopold	Undergraduate Institute: Bethany College WV (Environmental Science) Previous Graduate Study: Samford University () Graduate Research Topic I am researching the effects of climate change on rare wetland plant communities. Home Page http://sites.google.com/site/praneycv/home
Gregory Russo garusso@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MPS Advisor(s): Fierke	Undergraduate Institute: Fordham University (Environmental Science)
Lindsey Scales lnscales@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MPS Advisor(s): Ryan	Undergraduate Institute: SUNY College Oswego (Zoology)
Stephanie Smith sksmit04@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MPS Advisor(s): Fernando and Kimmerer
Scott Sveiven sjsveive@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Leopold	Undergraduate Institute: University of Minnesota Duluth (Biology) Personal Statement My interests span the whole of biology and humanity. It is the collection, interconnectedness, and diversity of life on this planet that inspire and motivate me to pursue graduate studies. This includes societal components across the globe, which have led me to pursue a concurrent master of public administration degree at the neighboring Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs. Rather than focus on one aspect or element of the menagerie of life, I hope to explore what unifying themes exist, particularly in regards to conservation. Simply, I view species conservation and environmental degradation as small pieces of a larger puzzle. How we, as human beings, are collectively utilizing and interacting with the natural world and its resources is both the cause of and ultimate solution to issues in conservation and sustainability. Graduate Research "Plant invasions: testing theory with ecological monitoring data from wetlands in Colorado, USA." My research is a collaboration with the National Park Service in Colorado and Montana. Significance: Invasive plant species are affecting landscapes worldwide. Despite their prevalence, invasive species remain a hotly debated topic amongst ecologists. My research draws on observational wetland plant survey and environmental metric data collected through the National Park Service's Rocky Mountain Inventory & Monitoring Network to test whether native richness is negatively related to invasive richness and abundance; the pattern of plant functional guild as it relates to invasives; and the stability of invasive richness and abundance temporally. Wetlands in mountainous habitats provide an ideal setting for this work, as they are critical components of these ecosystems and little work has been done specifically on invasive species impacts in these habitats. Favorite Quotes "You must be the change you wish to see in the world" - M.K. Gandhi "I am a faulty string of blue Christmas lights" - John K. Samson
Andrea Thomen apthomen@syr.edu	Conservation Biology Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Ryan