Principle Investigator
Amy Dunham
I am primarily interested in the interactions of species in complex tropical forests and especially in relation to anthropogenic disturbances. However, my research spans a wide range of topics in ecology, evolution and conservation biology, from geographic and phylogenetic patterns of trait distributions and community assembly to impacts of extinction and invasion on trophic cascades and ecosystem processes, to studies of global climate change impacts on demography and species interactions.
Contact Amy
I am primarily interested in the interactions of species in complex tropical forests and especially in relation to anthropogenic disturbances. However, my research spans a wide range of topics in ecology, evolution and conservation biology, from geographic and phylogenetic patterns of trait distributions and community assembly to impacts of extinction and invasion on trophic cascades and ecosystem processes, to studies of global climate change impacts on demography and species interactions.
Contact Amy
Honorary Group Member
Mina Rudolf
Mina joined us in 2011. She is currently interested in the ecology and evolution of Stygimoloch (a controversial genus of pachycephalosaurid).
Mina joined us in 2011. She is currently interested in the ecology and evolution of Stygimoloch (a controversial genus of pachycephalosaurid).
Graduate Students
Andrea Drager
Andrea is an NSF GRFP fellow interested in the maintenance of biodiversity in tropical forests and especially mechanisms that allow the persistence of rare tree species. Her PhD research focuses on how floral traits, pollination limitation, and specialization relate to rarity in the hyperdiverse rainforests of Cameroon.
Contact Andrea
Andrea's Webpage
Andrea is an NSF GRFP fellow interested in the maintenance of biodiversity in tropical forests and especially mechanisms that allow the persistence of rare tree species. Her PhD research focuses on how floral traits, pollination limitation, and specialization relate to rarity in the hyperdiverse rainforests of Cameroon.
Contact Andrea
Andrea's Webpage
J. Therese Lamperty
Therese is interested in tropical community ecology and the consequences of biodiversity loss. She has been working in Gabon, Peru, and Ecuador to examine the impacts of defaunation on the the ecology of diverse rainforests. Her work examines consequences at multiple scales from population genetics of single species, to complex mutualistic networks and ecosystem processes.
Contact Therese
Therese is interested in tropical community ecology and the consequences of biodiversity loss. She has been working in Gabon, Peru, and Ecuador to examine the impacts of defaunation on the the ecology of diverse rainforests. Her work examines consequences at multiple scales from population genetics of single species, to complex mutualistic networks and ecosystem processes.
Contact Therese
Jadelys Tonos
Jade is an NSF GRFP fellow interested in the role that vertebrate seed-dispersal plays in maintaining and restoring biodiversity in tropical rainforests. Her current research uses a spatially explicit network approach to understand how frugivores may be important for shaping seed dispersal patterns and plant-plant interactions. She is also exploring how fruit resource distributions including that of invasive species inform foraging decisions and movement ecology of frugivores. Her current work focuses on lemurs and bats of Madagascar's rainforest.
Contact Jade
Jade is an NSF GRFP fellow interested in the role that vertebrate seed-dispersal plays in maintaining and restoring biodiversity in tropical rainforests. Her current research uses a spatially explicit network approach to understand how frugivores may be important for shaping seed dispersal patterns and plant-plant interactions. She is also exploring how fruit resource distributions including that of invasive species inform foraging decisions and movement ecology of frugivores. Her current work focuses on lemurs and bats of Madagascar's rainforest.
Contact Jade
Graduate Student Alumni
Internationally Based Students and Collaborators
Hasinala Ramangason
Hasinala was recently a visiting scholar and Houston Zoo Conservation Fellow hosted by our research group. Hasinala recently completed his MS in Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution at the Université Claude Bernard Lyon in France. Hasinala has been collaborating with us to examine the role frugivore guilds play in gap regeneration across a time gradient in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest.
Hasinala was recently a visiting scholar and Houston Zoo Conservation Fellow hosted by our research group. Hasinala recently completed his MS in Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution at the Université Claude Bernard Lyon in France. Hasinala has been collaborating with us to examine the role frugivore guilds play in gap regeneration across a time gradient in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest.
Gregory Dowo
Gregory was an IPBES Young Fellow under the mentorship of Amy Dunham with a complimentary research appointment at Rice University. He is working as a contributor to the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) African Regional Biodiversity Assessment. Gregory was a PhD student at the U. of Zimbabwe where he examined the socio-ecological dynamics of hardwood provision by local stakeholders in a tropical forest in Zimbabwe. He recently acquired a lecturer position at Midland State University in Zimbabwe! Woohoo!
Gregory was an IPBES Young Fellow under the mentorship of Amy Dunham with a complimentary research appointment at Rice University. He is working as a contributor to the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) African Regional Biodiversity Assessment. Gregory was a PhD student at the U. of Zimbabwe where he examined the socio-ecological dynamics of hardwood provision by local stakeholders in a tropical forest in Zimbabwe. He recently acquired a lecturer position at Midland State University in Zimbabwe! Woohoo!
Zo Fenosoa
Fenosoa has a DEA from the University of Antananarivo in zoology for which she studied the physiology of mouse lemurs. She is currently working on her PhD at the same institution in association with our research group. She is examining the role of lemurs and birds as seed dispersers of mistletoe, a keystone resource and hemiparasitic plant in Ranomafana National Park located in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest.
Fenosoa has a DEA from the University of Antananarivo in zoology for which she studied the physiology of mouse lemurs. She is currently working on her PhD at the same institution in association with our research group. She is examining the role of lemurs and birds as seed dispersers of mistletoe, a keystone resource and hemiparasitic plant in Ranomafana National Park located in Madagascar's southeastern rainforest.
Undergraduate Students
Arielle Liu
Arielle is a junior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major doing an independent research project examining ecological and behavioral correlates of sexual dichromatism in pelage across primate taxa.
Arielle is a junior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major doing an independent research project examining ecological and behavioral correlates of sexual dichromatism in pelage across primate taxa.
Ella Matsuda
Ella is a senior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Environmental Studies double major and a Rice Wagoner Fellow. Ella led a project that examined how non-random pattern of species endangerment may effect seed dispersal process that support hyperdiverse tree communities in Madagascar. Her honors research focuses on how invasive guava affects epiphyte communities, soil processes, and understory invertebrate communities in a diverse tropical rain forest understory.
Ella is a senior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Environmental Studies double major and a Rice Wagoner Fellow. Ella led a project that examined how non-random pattern of species endangerment may effect seed dispersal process that support hyperdiverse tree communities in Madagascar. Her honors research focuses on how invasive guava affects epiphyte communities, soil processes, and understory invertebrate communities in a diverse tropical rain forest understory.
Laura Nicholson
Laura is a recent graduate and Wagoner fellow recipient. She will be joining graduate student Therese Lamperty to collaborate on a pollinator network study in Peru this fall. She previously worked with graduate student, Andrea Drager, to examine pollination in complex rain forest communities in Cameroon's rainforest.
Laura is a recent graduate and Wagoner fellow recipient. She will be joining graduate student Therese Lamperty to collaborate on a pollinator network study in Peru this fall. She previously worked with graduate student, Andrea Drager, to examine pollination in complex rain forest communities in Cameroon's rainforest.
Ilana Nyveen
Ilana is a senior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major who has been leading a project on novel object use in orangutans. This work, in collaboration with Lucrecia Aguilar and the Houston Zoo will soon be submitted for publication. Ilana was awarded "best poster presentation" for this work at the Texas Association for Biological Anthropology Meeting. She is currently expanding on these questions for her senior honors research project.
Ilana is a senior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major who has been leading a project on novel object use in orangutans. This work, in collaboration with Lucrecia Aguilar and the Houston Zoo will soon be submitted for publication. Ilana was awarded "best poster presentation" for this work at the Texas Association for Biological Anthropology Meeting. She is currently expanding on these questions for her senior honors research project.
Cindy Ryoo
Cindy is a senior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major who is currently developing an independent research project on monarch butterflies overwintering in the Gulf Coast region and their OE infection rates. As part of her project she is starting a citizen science project to educate community members about the importance of pollinators and how to capture monarchs and check for infection. She has also been working on a project to improve habitat for monarchs and other pollinators in the Harris Gully Natural Area, a patch of coastal prairie habitat on Rice University's campus.
Cindy is a senior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major who is currently developing an independent research project on monarch butterflies overwintering in the Gulf Coast region and their OE infection rates. As part of her project she is starting a citizen science project to educate community members about the importance of pollinators and how to capture monarchs and check for infection. She has also been working on a project to improve habitat for monarchs and other pollinators in the Harris Gully Natural Area, a patch of coastal prairie habitat on Rice University's campus.
Dana Lim
Dana is a senior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major who is doing an independent senior research project on patterns of boat collisions and injury in sea turtles. Her study uses 10 years of data on turtle stranding and rehabilitation admissions in Palm Beach County and nearby counties in Florida. She is exploring geographic, demographic, and temporal trends in the data which she hopes will inform conservation efforts in limiting watercraft impact on marine life in this high boat traffic area.
Dana is a senior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major who is doing an independent senior research project on patterns of boat collisions and injury in sea turtles. Her study uses 10 years of data on turtle stranding and rehabilitation admissions in Palm Beach County and nearby counties in Florida. She is exploring geographic, demographic, and temporal trends in the data which she hopes will inform conservation efforts in limiting watercraft impact on marine life in this high boat traffic area.
Jordan Graves
Dana is a junior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major who is working on a project about how loss of large frugivores from Peru's rainforest impacts the spatial distribution of seedlings of a dominant forest tree with graduate student, Therese Lamperty.
Dana is a junior Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major who is working on a project about how loss of large frugivores from Peru's rainforest impacts the spatial distribution of seedlings of a dominant forest tree with graduate student, Therese Lamperty.
