Texas People

Clint Boal Assistant Unit Leader Email: clint.boal@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 2851

Clint Boal received his PhD from the University of Arizona, was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota, and has been with the Texas Unit since 2000.

Tim Grabowski Assistant Unit Leader Email: tgrabowski@usgs.gov Website: http://www.tcfwru.ttu.edu/default.aspx?page=Grabowski-Home Tel: (806) 742 - 2851

I joined the Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in 2010. Prior to that, I was a research scientist and lecturer at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Reynaldo Patiño Unit Leader Email: reynaldo.patino@ttu.edu Website: http://www.rw.ttu.edu/patino/ Tel: (806) 742 - 2851

I joined the Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in 1989. Prior to that, I was a postdoctoral scientist at The University of Texas Marine Science Institute.

Dan Dawson Research Associate Email: dan.dawson@ttu.edu

Dan's personal research interests are varied, though recent work has focused on urban ecology and endangered species management on military land. His current research efforts involves exploring possible drivers of golden alga blooms in Texas reservoirs.

Kristin Grabowski Research Associate Email: kris.grabowski@gmail.com

Kris is working on GIS land cover classifications for use in models for predicting the influence of climate change on Texas surface waters and their aquatic biotic communities.

Rita Jones Unit Coordinator Email: rita.m.jones@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 2851

Rita Jones joined the Texas Unit in 2012 but has worked at Texas Tech University for 30 years. She is primarily responsible for state and federal accounting, contract management, and federal travel, but she also provides a wide range of adminstrative support for the unit. Rita also enjoys fishing in her spare time.

Marshall Bailey Email: marshall.b.bailey@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 0841

Philip Borsdorf Email: philip.k.borsdorf@ttu.edu

Phil's thesis examines how land management practices in west Texas and eastern New Mexico affects lesser prairie chicken habitat use and selection.

Brandon Cheek Email: brandon.cheek@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 0841

My thesis evaluates the habitat associations of a stream fish assemblage at multiple scales for the purpose of developing guidelines for stream restoration on the Edwards Plateau.

Blake Grisham Email: blake.grisham@ttu.edu

My dissertation addresses the reproductive ecology and survival of lesser prairie-chickens on the southern high plains of Texas.

Jillian Groeschel Email: jillian.groeschel@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 0841

My thesis examines the habitat use and occupancy patterns of Guadalupe bass in the South Llano River with the goal of evaluating the species' potential as an indicator of stream health.

Natascha Israel Email: natascha.israel@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 0841

Natascha’s research is focused on understanding the relationships between water quality and the distribution of golden alga Prymnesium parvum in the Pecos River.

Julia Mueller Email: julia.mueller@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 0841

Julia is examining the effects of temperature, salinity, and suspended solids on the buoyancy, survival, and developmental rates of Arkansas River shiner eggs and larvae. Her work will be used to predict how climate change will impact the suitability of stream segments for supporting populations of this threatened Great Plains minnow.

Becki Perkins Email: becki.perkins@ttu.edu

My thesis focuses on predator-prey interactions, specifically the escape strategies of northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus.

Nicholas Pirius Email: nicholas.pirius@ttu.edu

My thesis focuses on the overwinter ecology of lesser prairie chicken Tympanuchus pallidicinctus in the southern Texas high plains. My research will assess survival, movement patterns, home range, and habitat use, particularly man-made water sources, through the use of motion triggered trail cameras

Jason Post Email: jason.post@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 0841

My thesis evaluates the effects of factors related to climate change, such as temperature, carbon dioxide levels, and salinity, on the growth, toxicity, and competitive ability of golden alga.

Prakash Sharma Email: prakashsharma1979@rediffmail.com

My dissertation research aims to determine the role of the thyroid endocrine system in the regulation of gonadal and reproductive development in teleost fishes.

Ben Skipper Email: ben.skipper@ttu.edu

My dissertation focuses on identifying factors that contribute to aggression in urban nesting Mississippi kites as well as reproductive performance of urban, exurban, and rural kites.

Jamie Suski Email: jamie.suski@ttu.edu

My dissertation addresses the effects of anthropogenic activity on the spring ecosystems due to interspecific differences in salt tolerance among sympatric species of freshwater snails.

Austin Teague Email: austin.j.teague@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 0841

Austin's thesis examines wind energy influences on burrowing owls Athene cunicularia and American kestrels Falco sparverius around Reese air force base. He also will be monitoring avian fauna in the area as well conducting post-construction wind energy mortality surveys.

Leticia Torres Email: leticia.torres@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 2851

Leticia working on her PhD in Biology under Dr. Patino. Her research focuses on the toxicity and mechanisms of action of endocrine disruptors -specifically PBDEs- in fish.

Ross Tsai Email: ross.tsai@ttu.edu Website: http://ttu.academia.edu/JoSzuRossTsai/About

Dr. Tsai is developing a survey and monitoring strategy of Golden Eagle in relation to the fast growing wind energy in the western United States. By developing field survey protocol in an occupancy model framework, his aim is to propose long-term monitoring strategy to support the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service goals to manage Golden Eagles in the context of wind energy.

Matt VanLandeghem Email: matt.vanlandghem@ttu.edu Tel: (806) 742 - 2851

Matt is working on his PhD in Fisheries Science in the Department of Natural Resources Management. His research is focused on examining environmental factors that regulate blooms of golden alga, a toxic, invasive algal species which has caused significant fish kills throughout Texas and other states, and the impacts of these blooms on fish populations.

Brandi Welch Email: brandi.welch@ttu.edu

Brandi's thesis research focuses on quantifying prey delivery rates of Mississippi kites nesting in urban environments. She is also identifying factors affecting parental provisioning in this species.

Jennifer Zavaleta Email: jennifer.zavaleta@ttu.edu Website: http://jennzavaleta.wordpress.com/

Jennifer is researching the community response to prescribed burning and herbicide application used for restoring sand shinnery oak grasslands with the goal of guiding lesser prairrie chicken conservation. She is also interesed in community-driven conservation initiatives and developing ways to better communicate science to the general public.