NSF-IGERT Doctoral Program
At Texas A&M University
The Applied Biodiversity Science Program at
Texas A&M trains doctoral students from the
natural and social sciences in applied,
interdisciplinary research to address
conservation issues in Latin America.
The vision of the Applied Biodiversity
Science Program is to integrate
biodiversity research and on-theground conservation practices.
Three pillars of Applied
Biodiversity Science:
1. Research in natural and
social sciences;
2. Research and collaboration
with conservation
institutions and actors in
the field;
3. Application of conservation
theory to practice.
Research teams of
students and
faculty collaborate
with international
partners in one of
four regions of
Latin America.
Research teams develop
complementary
dissertations related to
two themes:
•Ecological Functions
and Biodiversity
•Communities and
Governance
ABS Doctoral Program
• Interdisciplinary
graduate curriculum
• Seminar series and
journal club
• Internships at host
country institutions
ABS Doctoral Program
• Amazon field school
• Annual research
conference
• Cross-cultural
leadership training
ABS Doctoral Program
• NSF-IGERT Traineeships
available
• $30,000 plus
$10,500 toward cost of
education
• Support for field
research
To Apply…
1. Review the ABS website
2. Contact associated faculty members you
would be interested in working with
3. Submit departmental application
(deadlines vary)
4. Submit application for the NSF-IGERT
Traineeship by the deadline.
See our website for more information
HTTP://BIODIVERSITY.TAMU.EDU
Dr. Kirk Winemiller
Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Interests: Dynamics of fluvial and
estuarine ecosystems; Biodiversity
conservation and sustainable use of natural
resources; Trophic ecology and food web
theory; Regulation of fish populations and
community structure in rivers and steams.
Email: k-winemiller@tamu.edu
Dr. Mariana Mateos
Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Interests: Host-symbiont
evolution of Drosophila flies and
their endosymbiotic bacteria;
Phylogeography (particularly of
Mexico); Evolution of asexual fish.
Email: mmateos@tamu.edu
Dr. Thomas E. Lacher, Jr.
Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Interests: Biodiversity monitoring; Global
patterns of biodiversity (mammals); Conservation
planning and prioritization; Tropical ecology and
conservation; Long-term trends in biodiversity
indicators
Email: tlacher@tamu.edu
Dr. Jane Packard
Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Interests: Communities surrounding
protected areas and species; Transboundary
conservation (Mexico/USA); Engaging
communities in biodiversity inventory; Network
analysis
Email: j-packard@tamu.edu
Dr. Luis Hurtado
Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Interests:
Population and conservation
genetics; Molecular
systematics; Genomics;
Evolution; Phylogeography of
Gulf of Mexico & Gulf of
California
Email: lhurtado@tamu.edu
Dr. Amanda Stronza
Dept. Recreation, Parks & Tourism
Research Interests: Environmental
anthropology; Political ecology; Communitybased conservation, Ecotourism; Tourism and
ethnicity; Protected areas in the tropics;
Participatory research
Email: astronza@tamu.edu
Dr. Michael Alvard
Department of Anthropology
Research Interests:
Evolutionary approaches to
human behavior;
Cooperation; Subsistence
strategies; Culture; Fishing
cultures in Dominica.
Email: alvard@tamu.edu
Dr. Christian Brannstrom
Department of Geography
Research Interests: NatureSociety relations, in particular
the historical geography of
environment and resource
management in Brazil and Latin
America
Email: cbrannst@geog.tamu.edu
Dr. Andrew Millington
Department of Geography
Research Interests: Deforestation and
forest fragmentation; Remote
sensing; Land use/cover change
impacts on ecology/conservation in
tropics/sub tropics; Coca cultivation
and biodiversity in Latin America;
Development, woodland change and
biodiversity in the Chaco.
Email: millington@geog.tamu.edu
Dr. Wendy Jepson
Department of Geography
Research Interests: Water and land
resources; Political ecology; Environmental
governance; US-Mexico Border and Mexico;
Institutions.
Email: wjepson@tamu.edu
Dr. Will Heyman
Department of Geography
Research Interests:
Marine ecosystem
conservation and
management; Physicalbiological coupling;
Ecology of reef fishes
Email: wheyman@tamu.edu
See our website for more information
HTTP://BIODIVERSITY.TAMU.EDU