Graduate Research Assistant/Master of Science in Range and Wildlife Management

Parasite Occurrence of Quails in Trans-Pecos, Texas

In May of 2017, I graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. After graduation, I worked various research technician jobs across the country. I began pursuing a Master of Science in Range and Wildlife Management at Sul Ross State University in January of 2019. I am currently employed by Borderlands Research Institute as a Graduate Research Assistant. The focus of my project is to determine the occurrence of parasites in quails of the Trans-Pecos ecoregion of Texas. To do this, I am harvesting quail from ranches across the region and conducting necropsies in the lab to collect baseline data. I am currently working to identify factors that may influence parasite abundance in these samples. In the future, we aim to build off of this data in an effort to determine the effects that parasites have on quail survival.

UPDATE

In the Fall of 2019, I was chosen as a recipient of the Dan L. Duncan Scholarship. As an
advocate for conservation through hunting, I was honored to receive such an award. This
scholarship has benefitted me with a number of opportunities to further my career as both a wildlife conservationist and hunter.

Over the course of the past year, I have completed the first year of my Master’s degree in
Range and Wildlife Management at Sul Ross State University. During this time, I have had the ability to travel to conferences and symposium to convey the results of my research.

Since receiving this scholarship, I have presented research at the Statewide Quail Symposium, Trans-Pecos Grazing Land Coalition Workshop, Texas Section Society for Range Management, and Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society. The research presented at these events included the topics of parasite occurrence in quails, the documentation of novel parasites in quails, and modeling the effects of harvest on Mearn’s quail.

I would not be able to pursue these goals without the support of the Houston Safari Club Foundation. I proudly support HSCF’s mission to preserve the sport of hunting through education, conservation and the promotion of our hunting heritage.