Our Team
Melissa Schmitt, PI
All of my research revolves around large mammal ecology and management. I am fascinated by the decision-making process of large herbivorous mammals, particularly with respect to how herbivores balance their foraging requirements and predation risk. I am also interested in understanding how these tradeoffs span multiple spatial scales.
Although much of my work has been conducted in African savannas, I have extensive field experience working in terrestrial North American systems (redwood forest and dry chaparral) and marine systems, including California kelp forests and Pacific coral reefs. My time spent in these diverse systems has informed the way I approach wildlife ecology as a whole.
Beyond my work, I love birding, cooking, and spending time outdoors, as well as training my two beagles, Poppy and Ellie, in scent detection. Odds are good that you will find me holding a cup of tea at any given moment in the day.”
Postdocs
current postdocs
Matt Wuensch, Postdoc
NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (2025-2027)
Broadly, I conduct research with the objective of helping to better understand how animals interact with their environments, and to discern the effects of anthropogenic pressures on animal populations. As a result, my research focuses on animal (typically large mammal) behavior and decision-making, population dynamics, and interspecies interactions in an applied manner.
My postdoctoral work with Dr. Schmitt will examine how plant-emitted odor cues shift in relation to phenology and varying climatic conditions, and identify how these varying odor cues inform the migratory behavior of mule deer in western Wyoming. We will also identify the specific plant-emitted odors that serve as attractant or deterrent cues that inform mule deer foraging decisions.
Outside of my research, I enjoy many hobbies and passions including backpacking, hunting, birding, gardening, and cooking.
Current and Past Graduate Students
Current Students
Lindokhule Gumede, MSc candidate
University of Mpumalanga (2022-present), co-advisor: Prof. Dan Parker and Prof. Keenan Stears
Thesis: “Seasonal drivers of insectivorous bat activity: exploring the relative importance of food abundance, vegetation structure, and water availability”
My Master’s project focuses on the drivers of insectivorous bat community structure in a southern African savanna. My study will use acoustic monitoring of bat communities near the Kruger National Park to better understand the impact of important ecological drivers on their community structure and composition. I am investigating the relative importance of vegetation structure, water availability, and insect abundance on bat activity and community assemblage.
Amalie Victoria Jørgensen, Ph.D. Student
Washington State University (2024-Present), NORAM Scholar (2024-2025 and 2025-2026 cohorts), co-advisor: Prof. Keenan Stears
Thesis: “Drivers of Giraffe Spatial Ecology and Behavior”
Between growing up in Norway and studying in the US, my research interests have been shaped by exposure to different ecosystems and they mostly revolve around animal behavior. More specifically, I am interested in understanding why wildlife use the landscape in the ways that they do, and exploring what factors may affect this. Additionally, I am especially interested in the way that different large mammals use odor to locate their food, particularly in variable landscapes. My ultimate career goals are to pursue a position in international wildlife research.
My Ph.D. project is focused on giraffe and what drivers their spatial ecology and behavior. Through this project, I want to explore how they use the landscape and what habitats they select for. More specifically, I want to investigate what factors affect these decisions. Further, I am interested in understanding giraffe herding behavior and what drives their social interactions. The final part of my project focuses on how giraffe assess and locate vegetation across the landscape using olfactory cues.
When I am not working, you can usually find me outdoors enjoying anything nature or curled up on the couch with a good book.
Serena Huberty, PhD. Student
Washington State University (2025-Present)
Thesis: “Linking Foraging Ecology, Gut Microbiomes, and Stress Responses in Migrating Mule Deer”
My Master’s research will broadly focus on the foraging ecology and gut microbiomes of North American ungulates. I’m interested in how diet, habitat use, environmental variation, and stress influence microbial communities in the gut, and how this, in turn, might affect animal health and ecological interactions. While the specific direction of the project is still being developed, my goal is to better understand the links between wildlife nutrition, behavior, and ecosystem dynamics.
In my free time, you can find me dancing, listening to music (and probably singing along), and rewatching my favorite TV shows and movies. The only thing bigger than my heart is my sweet tooth!
Past Students
Twané Bester, MSc (Cum Laude)
University of Pretoria (2020-2022), co-advisor: Prof. Adrian Shrader
Thesis: “Exploring the influence that monoterpenes have on the dietary choices of elephants”
My research interests address the factors that modulate plant-herbivore interactions. In particular, I focus on the utilization of plant secondary metabolites as chemical defenses against herbivory, the way in which odoriferous secondary metabolites shape the olfactory landscape of herbivores, and the influences that the volatile organic compounds, monoterpenes, have on the olfactory-driven dietary choices of megaherbivores.
For my thesis, I explored how African elephants (Loxodonta africana) use olfactory cues to make foraging decisions. One type of volatile plant secondary compounds that influence these decisions are monoterpenes. Little is known about how individual monoterpenes, or their mixtures, influence elephant dietary choice. I found that deterrence is influenced by monoterpene concentration and whether the monoterpenes are presented in mixtures. I also found that different individual monoterpenes have the potential to influence elephant dietary choice to varying degrees.
Carys Corry-Roberts, MSc (with Distinction)
Rhodes University (2021-2024), co-advisor: Prof. Dan Parker and Prof. Keenan Stears
Thesis: “Functional significance of mixed-species groups for zebra (Equus quagga) in savanna habitats”
My research interests are broad, but include spatial ecology of threatened and endangered species, behavior of large mammals and their response to anthropogenic pressures, the effects of habitat restoration on biodiversity, and mediating human-wildlife conflict.
For my MSc, I sought to understand the functional significance of mixed-species herding using zebra as a focal species. I aimed to disentangle the relative importance of various drivers on the occurrence of zebra in single- and mixed-species herds across the landscape. Additionally, I examined potential spatial benefits for zebra herding in mixed-species groups. Moreover, I aimed to examine potential differences in foraging behavior among zebra in single-species herds and with their common heterospecific herd mates; wildebeest and impala. I further sought to quantify vigilance behavior, intake rates, and potential competition among zebra foraging in these herd types across varying degrees of perceived predation risk present in the landscape.
Christoffel de Lange, MSc candidate
University of Pretoria (2021-2026), co-advisor: Prof. Adrian Shrader
Thesis: “Spatial variation in vigilance behaviours and its effect on food intake rates”
Early predator detection is one of the key ways in which prey reduce their vulnerability to predation. Animals therefore frequently allocate time towards anti-predator vigilance. Being vigilant, however, comes at a cost because it disrupts the time spent searching for and handling food, thereby reducing food intake rates. To meet conflicting demands for food and safety, prey must assess the risk of predation and select vigilance strategies that balance them. The major goals of my thesis are to assess various vigilance strategies that are employed by wild herbivores in different habitats that vary in predation risk and food availability.
Lawson Frey, M.S. Student
University of North Dakota (2024-2026)
Co-supervised by Prof. Susan Ellis Felege
Thesis: “Identification and Development of Improved Monitoring for Wildlife Vehicle Crashes in North Dakota”
Growing up in North Dakota, I spent my free time hunting and spending time in nature, and I ultimately realized that I wanted a career in wildlife biology. My research interests include large game species management, spatial ecology of large mammals, ungulate population dynamics and migration strategies, and wildlife habitat management. My Master’s research focuses on wildlife vehicle collisions across the state of North Dakota. Wildlife vehicle collisions can directly affect wildlife populations through increased mortality. Additionally, these collisions can be harmful or fatal to the human involved, or at minimum serve as monetary inconveniences. Importantly, mitigation strategies require significant monitoring and information to implement. My research seeks to examine the effectiveness of North Dakota’s current wildlife vehicle collision reporting system and identify potential “hot spots” for wildlife vehicle collisions. This research also aims to identify factors that facilitate wildlife vehicle collisions, such as spatial ecology, human development, and species behavior.