
Werdel Wildlife
Current Lab Members


Dr. Werdel is a wildlife ecologist who primarily studies mammalian species. He is interested in how wildlife interacts within communities and their surrounding, ever-changing landscapes. He was born on the Lake Traverse Reservation in northeastern South Dakota, but spent much of his life as a Nebraskan. New to Texas, Ty enjoys spending most of his free time with his wife Chelsea, daughter Raylan, and dog Husker. Currently he is an Assistant professor within the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. Ty teaches Techniques of Wildlife Management and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Seminar. You can see Dr. Werdel's full professional record on the CV page. Pertinent links to sites regarding Ty's social media and research can be found on the Contact page.
Ty J. Werdel, Ph.D.
Lab PI
CV
Contact



Dave is a MS student developing long-term wildlife monitoring programs for a ranch in south Texas to collect data on mammals, birds, herps, and insects. He received his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Penn State and was involved with the student chapters of The Wildlife Society and the Society of American Foresters. He has worked on projects investigating the occupancy of mammalian species in a state forest in Pennsylvania, the population structure of white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania, the population structure and admixture of African savanna elephants and Masai giraffe in Tanzania, developing a database of species of greatest conservation need for New Jersey and worked as an assistant ranch biologist in southwest Texas. His research interests are in population and quantitative ecology that can better inform management and conservation decisions. He is an avid outdoorsman and spends his free time hunting, camping, and adding species to his bird and herp life list.
David Pearce
M.S. Student
CV



Conner's research interests include landscape ecology, carnivore ecology and conservation, and mammalogy. He is currently developing a project with Dr. Werdel focusing on Texas javelina distribution, occupancy, and movement in Texas. Besides javelinas, he has worked on plains spotted skunks in South Dakota, ecological diversity in Iowa, swift foxes in Kansas, and muskrats in Minnesota. He received his bachelor's degree in Wildlife Ecology and Management from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, where he was heavily involved in the student chapter of The Wildlife Society. He is also a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Mammalogists, The Wildlife Society, and the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society. In his free time, he enjoys birding, adding species to his life list, and reading about western history or the history of wildlife.
Conner Ties
M.S. Student
CV



MacKenzie (Lulu) is an MS student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. Her research focuses on spatial interactions and potential disease transmission of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging native and exotic ungulates. She has also worked with many exotic bird species as well as migratory waterfowl and swallows. Lulu received her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University, where she also began her current involvement with the Texas A&M Fly Club as the Research and Conservation Outreach Chair. In her free time, Lulu enjoys spending time in the water, fishing, hiking and birding, and learning about Falconry.
Lulu Hoffman
M.S. Student
CV

Lab Alumni


Drake is a senior Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences major from Grapevine, Texas. He conducted research on the reproductive parameters of wild pigs in south-central Oklahoma. In addition to his wild pig study, Drake assisted with the river otter project ongoing in the lab. Prior to this, he worked with quail in the Rolling Plains region. At Texas A&M, Drake is a member of the American Fisheries Society and the Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society. After graduation, he hopes to get back out to West Texas and work as a wildlife technician.
Drake Dancila
B.S. Student
CV



A rising senior and biology major from Macalester College, Daniel is worked in the Werdel Lab through the REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program. His summer research project focused on habitat use of Fox Squirrels on the urban College Station campus and the Ecology and Natural Resources Teaching Area (Range Area). He previously worked at Macalester’s Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area investigating invasive plant ecology. Daniel is interested in avian and mammalian conservation and plans to continue field research after graduation. In his free time, he enjoys observing and recording birds.
Daniel Whitman
B.S. Student
CV

The Lab & The Field
























