Graduate Students
Current Graduate Students (as of Spring 2023)
Ben Smith (M. S. student) – Ben is conducting an evaluation of wildlife use in areas occupied by rhododendron. Co-advised with Dr. Aimee P. Rockhill, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina
Ethan Marburger (M.S. student) – Ethan is conducting a field evaluation of condensed tannins as a white-tailed deer repellent for soybeans and cotton.
Sarah Wyrick (M.S. student) – Sarah is conducting a survey to assess the effectiveness of the BearWise program in reducing human-bear conflicts in Asheville, NC.
Julia Jansson (Ph.D. student) – Julia is investigating forest and wildlife management in multispecies and multiuse landscapes using eDNA. (Co-advisor – Dr. Göran Spong, Swedish Agricultural University).
Past Graduate Students
Todd Brinkman (M.S.) – Mortality of white-tailed deer in southwest Minnesota. Co-advised with Dr. Jonathan A. Jenks, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota. Graduated 2003.Completed a Ph.D. at University of Alaska-Fairbanks in 2009.
Assistant Professor in the Institute of Artic Biology, University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
Chris C. Swanson (M.S.) – Movement and association of white-tailed deer in southwest Minnesota. Co-advised with Dr. Jonathan A. Jenks, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota. Graduated 2005. Completed a Ph.D. at South Dakota State University in 2009.
Fish And Wildlife Administrator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region, Atlanta, Georgia.
Stan Hutchens (M.S.) – Inventory and assessment of the herpetofauna of Bull Neck Swamp, Washington County, North Carolina. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2008.
Regional Data Technician at Go Triangle, Durham, North Carolina.
Gabe Karns (M.S.) – Movement, activity, and habitat use of adult male white-tailed deer related to hunting pressure and breeding season at Chesapeake Farms, Maryland. Co-advised with Dr. Richard A. Lancia, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2008.
Visiting Assistant Professor at Ohio State University.
Chris Ayers (M.S.) – Effects of different mowing regimes on the efficacy of Anthraquinone (FlightControl Plus TM) as a Canada Goose repellent. Co-advised with Dr. Christopher E. Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2009.
Instructor, Curator of Collections at Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi.
Colter M. Chitwood (M.S.) – Assessment of hunters and white-tailed deer of Hofmann Forest, North Carolina. Co-advised with Dr. Richard A. Lancia, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2010.
Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Wildlife Biology Program at the University of Montana. Co-Supervised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Mark Sandfoss (M.S.) – Population modeling of feral pigs and white-tailed deer at Howell Woods, North Carolina. Co-advised with Dr. Richard Lancia, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2010.
Post-Doctoral Associate at the Memphis Zoo.
Brandon Sherrill (M.S.) – Movement, habitat selection, and baseline condition of deer on Bald Head Island, North Carolina. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2010.
Lineman with Duke Energy.
Katherine Golden (M.S.) – Surveying North Carolina Non-Industrialized Private Landowner. Co-advised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2010.
Pursuing a Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University.
Sara Marschhauser (M.S.) – Ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) abundance and depredation on Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchlings on Onslow Beach, North Carolina. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2011.
Conservation Coordinator at the Piedmont Wildlife Center in Durham, North Carolina.
Emily Blackman (M.S.) – American Woodcock Winter Habitat Use in an Agricultural Landscape. Co-advised with Dr. Nils Peterson amd Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2011.
Land Preservation Associate and the Manager of the Native Plant Nursery at D&R Greenway Land Trust (Princeton, New Jersey).
Melissa Turner (M.S.) – Paternity and intracranial abscessation in white-tailed deer under quality deer management. Co-advised with Dr. Richard Lancia North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2011.
Health/Medical Editor for SmartBrief Incorporated, Washington D.C.
Amy Raker (Raybuck) (M.S.) – Short-term response of small mammals and Plethodon salamanders following oak regeneration silvicultural treatments. (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Moorman)
Assistant Regional Conservation Biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Shannon Bowling (M.S.) – Multi-scale factors that influence northern bobwhite and songbird use of CP33 borders. Co-advised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2012.
Wildlife Biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Kimberly Porter (M.S.) – Vegetative impact of feral horses, feral pigs, and white-tailed deer on the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. Graduated 2013.
Wildlife Biologist with USDA-APHIS-WS in Albany, New York.
Eric Kilburg (M.S.) – Wild turkey nesting ecology and nest survival in the presence of frequent growing-season fire. Co-advised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2013.
Land Management Biologist with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.
Maria Palamar, DVM, (Ph.D.) – Challenges and opportunities for raccoon (Procyon lotor) oral rabies vaccination and public health campaigns in urban environments. Co-advised with Dr. Maria Correa, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2013.
Deputy Director of Outreach, Engagement & Wildlife Health for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Annemarie Prince (M.S.) – Habitat selection, survival, and home range size of the southeastern fox squirrel. Co-advised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2013.
District Wildlife Biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
M. Elizabeth Rutledge, (Ph.D.) – Impacts of resident Canada goose movements on zoonotic disease transmission and human safety at suburban airports. Co-advised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2013.
Wildlife Specialist with The North Carolina Wildlife Federation, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Aimee Rockhill, (Ph.D.) – The ecology of bobcats in coastal North Carolina. Co-advised with Dr. Roger Powell, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2013.
Assistant Professor in Natural Resource Conservation and Management at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina.
Colter Chitwood, (Ph.D.) – White-tailed deer population dynamics in the presence of a novel predator. Co-advised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2014.
Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Wildlife Biology Program at the University of Montana. Co-Supervised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Marcus Lashley, (Ph.D.) – The importance of including natural variability in fire prescriptions: fruits, forages, and white-tailed deer space use. Co-advised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Graduated 2014.
Assistant Professor in the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department at the University of Florida. Co-Supervised with Dr. Chris Moorman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Morgan Swingen (Elfelt) (M.S.) – Coyote movement ecology and food habits at Fort Bragg Military Installation. (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Moorman)
Wildlife Biologist at 1854 Treaty Authority, Duluth, Minnesota.
Beth Stevenson (M.S.) – Coyote survival and habitat selection in a longleaf pine ecosystem (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Moorman).
Assistant Zoologist at Colorado State University, Colorado Natural Heritage Program
Fort Collins, Colorado.
Mark McAlister (M.S.) – Resident Canada goose abundance and occurrence at variable spatial extents (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Moorman).
Biologist with South Carolina Department of Natural Resource
Ellinor Sahlén (Ph.D.) – Indirect effects of predation in human-modified landscapes. (Co-advisor – Dr. Göran Spong, Swedish Agricultural University).
Predator Biologist with Länsstyrelsen Västerbottenin in Umeå, Sweden.
Alex Fish (M.S.) – Effects of ground-based military training on Bachman’s Sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis) breeding ecology. (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Moorman)
Endangered and Threatened Species Coordinator, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sarah Rosche (M.S.) – Effects of prescribed fire on northern bobwhite nest success and breeding season habitat selection. (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Moorman)
Biologist for Midwest Natural Resources, St. Paul, Minnesota
Byron Levon (M.S.) – Evaluation of priority game species use and propagation feasibility of high value sandhills native wildlife plants. (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Moorman)
Environmental Scientist, Three Oaks Engineering, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Charles Sanders (M.S.) – The age structure, diet, health, and reproductive habits of the North American river otter in North Carolina.
Community Conservationist with Dare County Soil & Water Conservation District, Manteo, North Carolina.
Dan Hannon (M.S.) – Predictors of upland hardwood distribution and the relationship between hardwood distribution and avian occupancy in fire maintained longleaf pine forests. (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Moorman)
Protection and Outreach Specialist, Virginia Natural Heritage Program
Tony Kroeger (M.S.) – Multi-scale assessment of Northern bobwhite and white-tailed deer habitat selection in longleaf pine woodlands. (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Moorman)
Wildlife Biologist, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Nicholas Gould (Ph.D.) – Ecology of American black bears in an urban environment.
USFS Postdoc in Forest Landscape Ecology & Decision Science.
Micah Walker (M. S.) – Evaluation of the use of GonaCon™ on wild white-tailed deer and a comparison of two darting techniques. (Co-advisor – Dr. Chris Shank, Bald Head Island Conservancy)
Lead Wildlife Biologist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee, North Carolina.
Daniel Choi (M. F.)– Breeding-season survival, home-range size, and habitat selection of female Bachman’s sparrows. (Co-advised – Dr. Christopher E. Moorman)
Cara Franceschini (M. S.)-. Denning chronology of female American black bears in a temperate climate and urban environment.