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Fish and Wildlife Biology & Management
M.S., M.P.S. & Ph.D.

Introduction

Fish and Wildlife Biology & Management program pages

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Fish and Wildlife Science at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) forms a broad undergraduate and graduate concentration recognized nationally and internationally; our graduates are employed worldwide. These disciplines function within the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, a group of over 30 scientists from a broad array of ecological and biological disciplines. Fish and Wildlife Science at ESF includes about 250 undergraduate and 60 graduate students.

ESF is a specialized unit within the SUNY system focused to natural resources and the environment. Perhaps nowhere in the world is there a larger grouping of ecologists dedicated to solving environmental problems through research, teaching and service. With a total enrollment of about 1,000 undergraduates and 600 graduate students, ESF's size creates an intimate College community. The low student/faculty ratio also allows for an active advisory system that provides personal attention and assistance for students. The proximity of the adjacent Syracuse University gives students the added resources of a large, comprehensive institution of higher education, including an array of courses, computer and library facilities, and sports and health services.

ESF's field stations are unmatched, and include the 6,000-hectare Huntington Forest and associated Adirondack Ecological Center, the Cranberry Lake Biological Station in the Adirondack Mountains and the Heiberg Forest south of Syracuse. Other field facilities are available on the St. Lawrence River, including the Thousand Islands Biological Station. These properties form a strong foundation for much of the coursework taken by undergraduate students and field research for graduate students. Undergraduates in Fish and Wildlife Science spend a summer taking classes at Cranberry Lake. Qualified undergraduates are encouraged to intern as field assistants with graduate students to gain direct experience with wildlife research.

Fish and wildlife programs at ESF date back to early studies of Adirondack fishes and work in the Yellowstone National Park. These efforts quickly expanded to include formation of the Roosevelt Wild Life Station in 1919. The Roosevelt Wildlife Museum also was established, and currently houses over 20,000 specimens of vertebrates that are an integral part of today's teaching and research programs. Today, the faculty in fish and wildlife supervise more than $3 million in sponsored research and about 60 graduate students. While much of the research occurs in New York State, international opportunities are available and recent studies have been conducted in Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Madagascar. Studies range from restoration of species, to adaptive management of wildlife in forest ecosystems and urban areas. Technology is often central to this research including extensive use of computer modeling, use of satellite imagery to evaluate habitat, and radio and GPS telemetry to study animal behavior and population dynamics.

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Certification

Graduates can receive certification from either The Wildlife Society or The American Fisheries Society. Information on the coursework required for certification can be found by following the links below.

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Faculty

Guy Baldassarre; gabaldas@esf.edu
Waterfowl, Shorebirds, Flamingos, Animal Behavior, International Management of Waterfowl, Wetland Ecology
John Farrell; jmfarrell@esf.edu
Fisheries Management, Aquatic Ecology, Wetlands Restoration, St. Lawrence River Studies, Muskellunge and Northern Pike Ecology and Management, Invasive Species, Zooplankton Ecology
Jacqueline Frair; jfrair@esf.edu
Wildlife and Landscape Ecology, Animal Movements and Habitat Use, Predator-prey Interactions.
James Gibbs; jpgibbs@syr.edu
Herptiles, Songbirds, Giant Tortoise, Statistics, Wildlife Population Monitoring, Galapagos Islands
Karin Limburg; klimburg@esf.edu
Fisheries Ecology, Watershed Ecology, Systems Ecology, Ecological Economics
Mark Lomolino; island@esf.edu
Conservation Biology of Isolated Biotas, Biogeography
Stacy McNulty; smcnulty@esf.edu
Amphibians, Beaver, Songbirds, White-tailed Deer, Animal Movements and Habitat Use, Wildlife Management, GIS and Landscape Ecology
Neil Ringler; neilringler@esf.edu
Fish Ecology
Sadie J. Ryan; sjryan@esf.edu
Disease and Landscape Ecology, Wildlife Conservation Biology, Public Health, Climate Change.
Kim Schulz; kschulz@esf.edu
Aquatic Ecology, Limnology
Donald Stewart; djstewart@esf.edu
Fish Conservation, Ecology and Population Biology in Tropical and Temperate Systems; Energetics
Brian Underwood; hbunderw@syr.edu
Deer, Small Mammals, Songbirds, Statistics, Population Surveys, Ecological Modeling, National Park Management
Chris Whipps; cwhipps@esf.edu
Fish and Wildlife Diseases, Parasitology, Microbiology, Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics, Diagnostics, Parasites as Biological Tags and Ecological Indicators

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Current Graduate Students in Fish and Wildlife Biology & Management

Current Students

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

Eric Bauer efbauer@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Whipps
Andrew Brainard abrainar@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Schulz	Undergraduate Institute: West Chester University PA (Biology) Previous Graduate Study: West Chester University PA (Biology )
Elaina Burns ekburns@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Underwood	Undergraduate Institute: Nazareth College of Rochester (Biology)
Michael Connerton mjconner@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Ringler	Previous Graduate Study: ( ) Graduate Research Topic Wild reproduction of Chinook salmon in Lake Ontario and its tributaries.
Derek Crane dpcrane@syr.edu	EFB Fish & Wildlife Biology & Mgt Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Farrell	Undergraduate Institute: Lycoming College (Biology) Previous Graduate Study: University of Michigan (Fishery Sciences ) Graduate Research Topic My research at SUNY-ESF focuses on ecology and restoration of critical spawning habitat for coolwater fish. Specifically, I am investigating; 1) how substrate size and composition influence walleye egg retention under different flow regimes in a laboratory setting; 2) how siltation of spawning substrates influences egg adhesiveness; 3) if constructed Newbury Riffles are a viable walleye spawning habitat restoration tool; 4) biological and physical habitat characteristics at muskellunge spawning sites in the Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor. Peer-Reviewed Publications Crane, D.P., Johengen, T.H. & J.D. Allan, 2011. Assessment of quantitative food web metrics for investigating the influence of land use on warm water fish diets. Hydrobiologia. 664: 1-15.
Frank DeSantis fdesanti@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Underwood	Undergraduate Institute: SUNY ESF (EFB)
Katharine DeVilbiss kdevilbi@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Farrell	Undergraduate Institute: Clemson University (Fishery Sciences) Links Web Link Graduate Research Topic Respiration studies of four regional esocids (northern pike, muskellunge, grass pickerel, chain pickerel) to investigate differences between and among species in various temperature regimes. The physical application is on young of year fish responses to the changing environments of the St. Lawrence River, due to climate change and water regulation.
Maureen Durkin mmdurkin@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Cohen	Undergraduate Institute: Connecticut College (Biology) Graduate Research Topic Effects of human-caused disturbance on Snowy Plover behavior, habitat selection, and reproductive success in the Florida Panhandle. Favorite Quote "The study of nature is a limitless field, the most fascinating adventure in the world." -- Margaret Morse Nice
Geofrey Eckerlin geeckerl@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Farrell	Graduate Research Topic Effects of viral hemorraghic septicemia (VHS) on smallmouth bass during ontogeny: the role of condition and stress on susceptibility and virulence.
Kelly Fitzsimmons kfitzs01@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Whipps	Undergraduate Institute: Hamilton College NY (Biology)
Ian Gereg iagereg@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Baldassarre	Undergraduate Institute: Unity College (Environmental Science) Previous Graduate Study: Western Connecticut State Univ (Biological and Envir)
Michael Grosso mvgrosso@syr.edu	EFB Fish & Wildlife Biology & Mgt Degree Sought: MPS Advisor(s): Underwood	Undergraduate Institute: St Bonaventure University (Environ Sci)
Sara Hansen sjhansen@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Frair	Personal Statement Prior to starting work on my MS at SUNY ESF, I was a biologist for the NPS on the island fox project for 2 years and logged 5 years as a seasonal biologist for several universities and NGO's prior to that. My recent experience has mainly been with management and research involving mammalian predators though I am more generally interested in population dynamics and spatial ecology of vertebrates and have worked with birds, large ungulates, small mammals, and reptiles in the past. I am also interested in human-wildlife conflict issues and improving education and communication between the scientific community and the general public. Graduate Research Topic Thesis title: “Estimation of eastern coyote abundance through distance sampling and vocalization surveys” Favorite Quote “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” -Judy Garland
Cathy Hazell cjhazell@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Shields	Previous Graduate Study: ( ) Graduate Research Topic Keystone predators in Kyrgistan.
Brian Henning bfhennin@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Farrell	Undergraduate Institute: Mansfield University of PA (Fishery Sciences) Graduate Research Topic Northern Pike Enhancement, Restoration, Fish community responses to restoration Home Page http://www.esf.edu/efb/grad/Henning.htm
Theodore Hermann thermann@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Stewart	Undergraduate Institute: Cornell University (Earth Systems) Personal Statement Before coming to ESF, I worked in several laboratories at Cornell. The focus of the work was broad in scope, including ichthyology, limnology, stable isotope analysis and microbiology. My graduate work focuses on the catfish of the family Pimelodidae, particularly the giants of the genus Brachyplatystoma, which undertake spawning migrations of thousands of kilometers in the Amazon River. Using microelemental analysis of otoliths, I aim to determine phylogenetic patterns of migration within the family. Graduate Research Topic Determining patterns of migration within the Amazonian catfish family, Pimelodidae, using otolith microelemental data.
Robin Holevinski raholevi@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Frair	Previous Graduate Study: Cornell University (Natural Resources ) Graduate Research Topic Dissertation title: “Foraging ecology of coyotes in NY State”
Curtis Karboski ctkarbos@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Ringler	Undergraduate Institute: Paul Smiths College Arts Science (Fishery Sciences)
Christina Killourhy cckillou@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Farrell	Undergraduate Institute: Cornell University (Environmental Science)
Lucas Kirby lkirby@syr.edu	EFB Fish & Wildlife Biology & Mgt Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Ringler	Previous Graduate Study: SUNY ESF ( ) Graduate Research Topic I am currently looking at the structuring role of aquatic macrophytes on aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in Onondaga Lake, Syracuse, NY. I am also evaluating the colonization potential of macroinvertebrates from connected waterbodies into Onondaga Lake. Home Page http://www.esf.edu/efb/grad/Kirby.htm
Megan Kirchgessner mskirchg@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Whipps	Undergraduate Institute: SUNY ESF (Biology) Previous Graduate Study: Cornell University (Veterinary Medicine )
Alison Kocek arkocek@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Cohen
Courtney LaMere crlamere@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): McNulty	Undergraduate Institute: University of Vermont (Wildlife Management) Project Website Web Link Graduate Research Topic My current research centers on understanding black bear ecology as it relates to annual variation in natural food sources. The goal of the project is to define the effect of variable soft and hard mast production on black bear reproduction and human conflict levels in the central Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Home Page Web Link Lab Home Page Web Link
Christopher Legard cdlegard@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Ringler	Undergraduate Institute: Oregon State University
Mark Leopold mfleopol@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Farrell	Undergraduate Institute: Cornell University (Natural Sciences — O) Graduate Research Topic Exploring the history of and possible causes and explanations for the heavily female-skewed sex ratios of northern pike on the St. Lawrence River Favorite Quote "Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning, and under every deep a lower deep opens." -R.W.E.
James MacCarthy jdmaccar@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Ryan	Graduate Research Topic Wildlife corridors, fragmentation and the human/wildlife disease interface. Home Page Web Link
Andrew MacDuff ajmacduf@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Frair	Graduate Research Topic Thesis title: “A non-harvest based assessment of river otter populations in NY State”
Joie Matillano jdmatill@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Stewart	Undergraduate Institute: Western Phillippines Univ (Aquatic Biology) Personal Statement I am a Ph. D. student majoring in Fish and Wildlife Biology and Management at SUNY ESF in Syracuse, NY. I also worked with Dr. Donald Stewart’s lab for my MS Degree but before I came to ESF, I was a faculty member of the Aquatic Biology Program of Western Philippines University in Puerto Princesa, Philippines. My MS research focused on taxonomy and conservation of the minnow genus Puntius in northern Palawan, Philippines. Currently, my graduate research in ESF deals with fish community patterns in riverine and coastal ecosystems of Honda Bay Basin. My research aims to compare the species composition of fishes from rivers, estuaries, and coral reef areas in Honda Bay area in Palawan, Philippines. The main goal is to assess the connectivity of these ecosystems in terms of supporting the different life history stages of several commercially important species in Honda Bay. I hope that through the results of my study, sound management programs will be formulated and implemented to effectively delineate marine protected areas that will provide umbrella protection to the different ecosystems that support the Honda Bay area fish communities. Graduate Research Topic Riverine and Coastal Fish Community Patterns in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa City, Philippines Home Page
Seth Myers sjmyers@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Hall and Hall	Undergraduate Institute: Fairmont State College (Biology) Previous Graduate Study: Marshall University (Biology )
Christopher Nack ccnack@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Limburg	Undergraduate Institute: SUNY ESF (EFB)
Laurel Nowak-Boyd ljnowakb@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Cohen
Emily Ogburn eogburn@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Limburg
Errol Scheid ejscheid@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): McGrath	Undergraduate Institute: Cornell University (Natural Sciences — O) Graduate Research Topic Lake sturgeon summer habitat use in the Erie Canal System
Christopher Standley crstandl@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Fierke	Undergraduate Institute: University of Maine Orono (Wildlife Management) Links Web Link Graduate Research Topic Quantifying the Emergence Phenology of Sirex noctilio and its Native Siricid-Parasitoid Complex in NY. Home Page Web Link
Sara Turner smturner@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: PHD Advisor(s): Limburg	Undergraduate Institute: University of Mass Dartmouth (Biology) Graduate Research Topic Assessment of River Herring Movement Patterns at Small and Large Scales using Natural Tags
Scott Warsen sawarsen@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Frair	Undergraduate Institute: Calvin College (Biology) Graduate Research Topic Thesis title: “Evolving niche of the ‘coy-wolf’ and implications for biodiversity” Home Page http://www.esf.edu/efb/grad/Warsen.htm
Sarah Wilkinson sawilkin@syr.edu	Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management Degree Sought: MS Advisor(s): Underwood and McNulty	Undergraduate Institute: University of Vermont Resume, photos, and news Web Link Graduate Research Topic Urban deer population dynamics, habitat restoration, land use shifts, GIS landscape analysis