Previous Graduate Students
Below are the individuals who have graduated from our lab with a Masters, PhD, or DVM.
Kerrie Anne Loyd
Kerrie Anne’s dissertation research focused on the threat to suburban biodiversity posed by free-roaming domestic cats. Partnered with National Geographic Remote Imaging, she used point-of-view, animal-borne video cameras to monitor the outdoor activities of 60 owned, free-roaming cats in Athens, Georgia. She analyzed hunting and risk beh aviors (crossing roads, encountering predators, contact with other cats, etc.) to address questions related to predation of cats on native wildlife as well as about the type and frequency of cat risks. Dr. Hernandez and Kerrie Anne are interested in improving the welfare of both cats and wildlife and continue to work on educational materials using images and statistics from the the “KittyCams” project. Visit UGA & NGS Kitty Cams Project for more information.
Chrissy Casey
Chrissy is from Vermont and graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science where she majored in Wildlife Biology. She just completed her Masters of Veterinary and Biomedical Science in August 2011. Chrissy is interested in further pursuing both scientific research on infectious diseases of wildlife to obtain a PhD and clinical medicine training via a DVM. Her future career will reflect her passion for improving the well-being of wildlife. For her Master's research, Chrissy investigated antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of isolates from the family of bacteria Enterobactericeae. A few of the species included in this family are Escherichia, Salmonella, Klebsiella, and Citrobacter. These isolates were cultured from fecal samples collected from wild caught Tokay Geckos. Tokay geckos are frequently trapped in their native range, South East Asia, and transported international for use in the pet trade.
Shaun Boone
Shaun Boone completed his Master’s Degree in Fisheries Science in December 2011. He graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2003 earning a B.S. degree in Biology then completed his DVM at The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Shaun practiced veterinary medicine in a small animal hospital in south Georgia and his future research interests include fish medicine and aquaculture.His graduate work consisted of researching the use of three commonly used suture materials and one newer antibacterial suture for the closure of a coeliotomy in sturgeon. He evaluated suture retention, suture breakdown, and suture inflammatory reaction as related to overall healing. He also evaluated the long‑term effects of surgically implanted dummy transmitters in relation to effects on physiology and internal pathology potentially associated with the transmitter. This study aimed to propose surgical methods that could be implemented in a field setting for endangered or threatened sturgeon species and are more closely related to current methods used in veterinary medicine.
Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo
Viviana completed her M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Management. She was born and grew up in Colombia and her life-long interest in animals led her to earn her DVM a the Universidad de La Salle. Viviana became interested in wildlife health and medicine while volunteering at zoos and NGOs. Her undergraduate research involved determining serological evidence of Leptospira interrogans in mammals housed at four Colombian zoos. The project contributed valuable information to the epizootiology of this disease in captive facilities. Viviana has also worked to improve protocols for raising amphibians in captivity and determining the prevalence of internal parasites in captive tree frogs, poison dart frogs and toads.
Viviana's graduate work summary: Birds are common carriers of several potential pathogens including parasites and parasitism is considered ubiquitous in wild birds and individual birds are affected by different parasites throughout their life time. Hemoparasites are amongst the most studied group of parasites in birds, however, our current understanding of parasites affecting wild birds is scarce. This study aimed to determine the microscopic prevalence of certain nematodes, protozoa and hemosporidian parasites in over 25 species of passerines captured at different locations at the Little River and Upper Oconee watersheds in Georgia.
April Conway
April Conway's dissertation research focused on the endangered and elusive pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) is a unique endangered species found only in the Upper Guinea Forests of West Africa. Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war devastated the country and prevented any extensive research on pygmy hippos until recently; therefore little information exists to accurately judge the fate of this species. She lived and worked for 2 years on Tiwai Island, a remote wildlife sanctuary home several endangered species, including pygmy hippos. She was thrilled to be awarded a Fulbright Scholarship from 2010-11. Her research focused on using camera trap surveys to assess the hippo population. Since human livelihoods play a large role in the success of conservation of endangered species, she was interested in human-wildlife conflicts that occur in rural Sierra Leone; therefore, she administered surveys to over 500 local residents along the Moa River. While writing her dissertation chapters she acted as the University of Georgia Peace Corps recruiter. She was honored to win UGA's 1st Annual Three Minute Thesis Competition. Her most current publication about the Sierra Leone experience can be found on the Scientific American Guest Blog.
Gabrielle Robinson
In general, Gabrielle’s research interests relate to the conservation of endangered species, and ecotoxicology. She investigated the effects of persistent environmental pollutants on the health and productivity of least terns (Sternula antillarum) on the Georgia coast. Specifically, she was interested in the sublethal health implications (e.g., immune suppression, reduced nestling growth rate), and with impaired reproductive performance (e.g., decreased nestling growth rate, decreased hatch or fledge rate), associated with elevated concentrations of heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the food web. Gabrielle compared breeding least terns in an estuary that has a long history of contamination from an EPA-listed "Superfund" industrial site, with breeding least terns at reference sites. She hopes that her findings will help to enlighten future management decisions (which do not currently take environmental contamination into consideration) that aim to appropriate, or create manmade, habitat for least tern breeding. She also hopes to demonstrate the utility of least terns as bioindicators of heavy metal and PCB contamination, which could facilitate the early detection of these pollutants in the food web so that further insult to other wildlife species, and to public health, could be prevented. Lastly, Gabrielle is devoted to innovating new approaches to predator management, in addition to testing existing predator management strategies, on the southeastern least tern population that she studies.
Kristy Segal
Kristy finished her PhD in the Odum School of Ecology, working with Dr. Ron Carroll in the Odum School and Dr. Sonia Hernandez. Her dissertation work focused on amphibians in Costa Rica and how their health is affected by pesticide usage. Specifically, she is used a weight-of-evidence approach to assess the health status of Bufo marinus in agricultural habitats along a pesticide use gradient. In addition, she collected data on the entire amphibian community in these habitats. Her research involved aspects of ecology, ecoimmunology, ecotoxicology, and wildlife health to answer questions with real conservation implications. She hopes that the results of her research will be used to improve agricultural practices in Central America to better protect sensitive amphibian species. Kristy is motivated by the need for scientists to collect accurate and complete data on organisms living in human altered environments, to better inform conservation efforts.
Albert Mercurio
Albert uses research, instruction, and outreach to protect our planet's biodiversity. The driving force behind his professional career is to help us better understand how humans impact wildlife, explore solutions to these issues, and connect the public to science. His previous research has focused on amphibian health and biodiversity. More recently, he has explored how invasive species and disease affect turtles. His teaching research, as part of the Interdisciplinary Certificate in University Teaching, aims to understand how student driven learning can change perceptions of environmental issues. Finally, through outreach at Sandy Creek Nature Center, with the UGA Herpetological Society, and others he helps educate the public about science and nature. Interested in what Albert does? Click here to visit his website to learn more about his activities.
Carly Landa
Carly Landa received her BA in Anthropology from Emory University, and then went on to work with animal shelters, animal welfare groups, vet clinics, and AWARE, an Atlanta-based wildlife rehabilitation center. She is interested in many facets of wildlife interpretation, management, and biology -- in particular, she is fascinated with the important role that apex predators play within their respective ecosystems. Currently, she is working on a project that advocates the humane management of urban coyote populations on Sanibel Island, Florida whilst pursuing a Masters Degree in Natural Resources. Overall, Carly hopes to facilitate a more harmonious relationship between people and wildlife through understanding
and communication.
Jennifer Bloodgood
Jenny's background is in Wildlife Biology. She received her BS and MS from Clemson University. Her master's thesis focused on the effects of climate change on bald eagle egg-lay dates. Most recently, she served as the Curator of Veterinary Services at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. She is now pursuing a DVM/PhD, with the PhD being in Integrative Conservation in Forestry and Natural Resources. For her PhD research, she is studying the effects of diet on green sea turtle rehabilitation at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) on Jekyll Island, GA. She hopes to achieve this by comparing blood nutritional markers, skin stable isotopes, and fecal bacterial metagenomics in captive and free-ranging green sea turtles. Ultimately, she hopes to develop a gel diet specifically for this unique species. Jenny also hopes to integrate human dimensions research by surveying the public both at the GSTC and around Jekyll in order to determine people's attitudes toward and perceptions of sea turtles and rehabilitation. She hopes to use this information to aid the GSTC education department in the development of exhibits and programs.
Shannon Curry
Shannon received her BA in Anthropology from UGA and subsequently worked as an archaeological and ecological interpretive ranger for the National Park Service. She joined Dr. Hernandez's lab as a masters student interested in studying wildlife disease ecology. Shannon is particularly interested in the effects of anthropogenic habitat use and food supplementation on avian health. Her thesis research investigates stress levels, immune function, and pathogen prevalence of white ibis adults and nestlings in urbanized and human altered habitats throughout Florida. Shanon is also interested in public perceptions of urban wildlife, and she conducts research to investigate public attitudes toward and interactions with urban birds. Ultimately, Shannon seeks to better our understanding of the relationship between people and wildlife and contribute to more effective management strategies that both benefit the public and improve wildlife conservation. For more information, please visit the White Ibis Project page.
Rebecca Cozad
Becca received her Masters studying wildlife disease in gopher tortoises. Though interested in wildlife since a young age, her focus on herpetology didn't begin until the end of college. After earning a B.S. in Biology from Emory University, Becca worked with sea turtles at Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida. She has spent the last two years as an AmeriCorps member at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, where she worked in the rehabilitation hospital treating a variety of reptile and avian species, researched roadway mortality of diamondback terrapins, researched incubation techniques for numerous chelonian species, and assisted in various radio telemetry research projects across the island. Her Masters work investigated environmental and behavioral factors contributing to an ongoing mortality event for translocated gopher tortoises on a protected reserve in northwest Florida.
Anjelika Kidd
While working on her B.S. at Mars Hill University, Anje developed a love for field biology through an internship with a fall migration bird banding station. Following graduation, she worked as an Avian Field Intern for a long-term demographic study of Black-throated Blue Warblers. Through these experiences, she cultivated an interest in wildlife habitat use, particularly in relation to human populations. She received her Master’s degree working under the advisement of Dr. Jeff Hepinstall-Cymerman and Dr. Sonia Hernandez. While pursuing her degree, she studied movement patterns of White Ibis associated with natural and urban environments.
Caroline Cummings
Caroline graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016 with a BS from the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and received her Master's degree working under the advisement of Dr. Kristen Navara and Dr. Sonia Hernandez while studying the effects of urbanization on the immune function, stress levels, and behavior of white ibis. She is particularly interested in scientific communication and advocacy and hopes to continue into a career in wildlife conservation/science education. Along with her scientific endeavors, she is also a member of the Athens masters swimming program and enjoys all live music Athens has to offer.
Andrea Ayala
Andrea earned her PhD in UGA's interdisciplinary Comparative Biomedical Sciences program at the College of Veterinary Medicine. She has a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida, and an M.S. from UGA's Odum School of Ecology, where she studied co-infection dynamics in wild Rock Pigeons. Prior to grad school, Andrea worked on multiple projects as an avian technician/biologist, including the USFS in California, the Nature Conservancy in Texas, the USGS in Mississippi, and on the MC-252 Deepwater Horizon Spill in Louisiana. Andrea received a Ford Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship in 2015 to study the factors that influence the transmission of low-pathogenic respiratory viruses between native Georgia songbirds and backyard chickens. Her dissertation topic was an intersection of her three favorite subjects, epidemiology, disease ecology, and ornithology. When she is not in the field banding birds or working with chickens, she can be found in the mountains hiking with her shelter-rescue lab mixes, Belle and Bianca.
Henry Adams
Henry was a Masters Student who began his program of study Fall of 2017. Having received the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in March of 2017, Adams studied amphibian pathogens in Costa Rica and North America. He focused on how emergent pathogens may affect Costa Rican species and how human movement affects disease dynamics and amphibian conservation. Adams received his B.S. in Ecology from the Odum School of Ecology at UGA. After graduating, he worked as a research technician in the Hernandez Lab, specifically for the UGA White Ibis Project. He has also had the opportunity to assist in teaching a number of Dr. Hernandez's classes, including her study abroad course, Conservation Medicine and Biology. Adams is also nature illustrator and a classically trained singer.
Raquel Francisco
Raquel was a Master’s Student beginning her program of study Fall of 2019. Raquel received her B.S. in Animal Science from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Florida. She then attended the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee where she received her D.V.M. After graduating, she worked as an associate veterinarian in Oregon. Raquel participated in both the UGA White Ibis Project as well as a collaborative study with the Complutense University of Madrid involving European Stork. Following her interests (pathology, population management, wildlife diseases, and zoonotic diseases), she did her Master's thesis detecting COVID-19 serologic evidence in raccoons and ferrets. Raquel enjoys spending time with her family, both bipedal and quadrupedal, as well as exploring new places around the continental United States.
Katherine Christie
Kat was a Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development MS student from the UGA Odum School of Ecology. She earned her graduate degree through the Double Dawgs program, allowing her to simultaneously pursue undergraduate degrees in Ecology and Genetics while working on her graduate research and coursework. She is passionate about wildlife conservation and has spent a lot of time working in wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education. She is part of the White Ibis Project, where she worked with urban rookeries to evaluate urban nestling pathogen dynamics, specifically related to Avian Influenza Virus and Salmonella. She is interested in the impacts of urbanization on wildlife populations, along with population ecology and zoo-based conservation efforts.
Daniela Guerrero
Daniela is a Master of Natural Resources Student with a focus on wildlife science through the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. She received her B.S. in biology from the University of West Georgia, where she was involved in a project studying the campus’s feral cat population under the advisement of Dr. Andrew Edelman. Daniela is a research assistant for the Wildlife Atlanta Project under the DNR Urban Wildlife Program studying coyotes in Atlanta, GA. She hopes to continue joining varieties of projects to gain different research experiences. Daniela is involved in multiple clubs at UGA, including the Lilly Branch Audubon Society, The Wildlife Society Student Chapter, and the Wildlife Disease Association Student Chapter. She has participated in study-abroad courses such as Field and Molecular Techniques in South Carolina, and Conservation Medicine and Conservation Biology in Costa Rica. She is interested in wildlife diseases, interactions between humans and wildlife, animal behavior, and predator-prey interactions.