Nathanael Stanek, M.S.
M.S. Fordham University
B.S. University of Missouri
The research I began during my MS at Fordham examines diversity among populations of African forest tortoises (Kinixys erosa and K. homeana) throughout their known distributions. The resulting phylogeographic data is being used to understand the evolutionary history of these cryptic tortoises while directing conservation action both in situ and ex situ. I am currently working as a consultant for a turtle conservation NGO.
Dr. Amanda Makkay
Ph D Fordham University
MS East Stroudsburg University
BA Felician University
I am currently a Curatorial Fellow at the Bronx Zoo in New York. In Spring 2017, I completed my dissertation research focused on assessing and comparing genetic diversity, in both in situ (wild) and ex situ (captive) snow leopard (Panthera uncia) populations. My hope is that this research may provide a framework for management strategies that include captive and wild populations concurrently.am interested in conservation management, particularly of large carnivores persisting at human-wildlife interfaces. My research interests include investigating progressive ways of managing these populations and mitigating the associated conflict with humans. This is fueled by a concern that in a world where human encroachment and habitat fragmentation are becoming the norm, management strategies must anticipate these effects on predator populations. I received my M.S. in 2010, where I evaluated the efficacy of nonlethal management techniques on the American black bear (Ursus americanus).
Richard Flamio Jr, M.S.
BS/MS Fordham University
I completed a 5-year BS/MS at Fordham University on sunfish hybridization at Fordham’s Calder Research Station in Armonk, New York. While sunfish hybridization is relatively common in freshwater systems across the U.S., the sunfish in our lake rarely hybridize. This system provided us with a special opportunity to pursue questions relating to speciation and species boundaries. I am now a Ph.D. student studying sturgeon genomics at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
As an undergraduate at Fordham, I studied female dominance hierarchy in a group of silvery lutungs (Trachypithecus cristatus) at the Bronx Zoo. I have also studied double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) and their effects on fisheries in NY Harbor and Barnegat Bay, NJ. I am interested in the intersection between genetics, ecology, and behavior.
Dr. Stephanie Dowell
I defended my doctoral dissertation on the phylogenetic analysis of Nile Monitor lizards (Varanus niloticus), a commercially exploited species native to sub-Saharan Africa. I also examined the introduced Nile monitor populations in Florida with the goal of genetically sourcing these populations and using species distribution modeling (SDM) to predict their potential spread in the United States. I am currently a geneticist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Dr. Christina Frare
I defended my doctoral dissertation on the temporal genetic analysis and sporadic hybridization of chipmunks (Genus Neotamias) in the Lake Tahoe Basin. I am currently faculty at Ithaca College.
Corey Anco, M.S.
I completed my master’s thesis focusing on phylogeopraphy and distribution modeling of the African leopard (Panthera pardus). I am now an assistant curator at the Natural History Museum in Cody Wyoming.
Seth Cunningham, M.S.
I completed my master’s thesis focusing on comparative phylogeography and ecological niche modeling of Crocodylus suchus, a recently identified lineage in the Nile crocodile species complex (Hekkala et al. 2011). I am interested in conservation genetics and sustainable management of African wildlife.
Andrea Aplasca, M.S.
Completed a Master’s thesis focusing on island biogeography and genetics of the Allan Cays Blue Iguana. Currently pursuing her DVM at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Hekkala Lab 