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.

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MacKenzie (Lulu) is an MS student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. Her research focuses on the spatial interactions of 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.

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Cade is an MNRD student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. Cade received his Bachelor’s of Science in Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management on the wildlife management track from Texas A&M University. His previous experience includes managing white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, and scaled quail on a hunting ranch in South Texas. He is also a member of The Wildlife Society. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, watching sports, and gaining knowledge on how to better manage wildlife.

Else is an international student athlete from the Netherlands. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Louisville, where she fostered a strong passion for ecological research. She previously worked in an entomology lab in Louisville, where she investigated invertebrate communities in both invasive and native leaf litter. Now she is hoping to expand her research towards mammal conservation and biodiversity. Currently, she is developing an exciting project with the Urban Wildlife Information Network, aimed at capturing biodiversity in College Station and its surrounding areas using camera traps. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is an accomplished Olympic diver who represented the Netherlands at the Paris 2024 Olympics, making it to the finals. In her free time, Else loves exploring the outdoors, camping, or just having a drink with friends!

Daniel is a PhD student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. His research focuses on the ecological impacts of different vegetation management strategies on biodiversity in solar farms. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University – Kingsville. Daniel has managed cattle as well as both exotic and native ungulates on various ranches throughout Texas. He has also investigated the impacts of extreme climatic events on ungulate distributions using trail cameras. Additionally, he is an active member of several organizations, including the Texas Wildlife Association, the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Ducks Unlimited, the Society for Range Management, and the National Wild Turkey Federation. In his free time, Daniel enjoys spending time with his wife, Cassidy, by visiting new places, fly fishing, and training his dog, Stihl, for duck hunting.

Reece is a PhD student researching the impacts of border wall installations on habitat connectivity for sensitive and protected species in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. He received a B.S. in Environmental Studies and an M.S. in Natural Resource Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His graduate research focused on utilizing remote sensing techniques to investigate the growth of eastern redcedar and ponderosa pine in response to climatic inputs in the Nebraska Sandhills. After earning his Master’s degree, he worked in environmental consulting, where he focused on drafting NEPA environmental reviews, primarily for telecommunications and renewable energy projects in the Midwest and Great Plains, before returning to academia to further his research interests in remote sensing and wildlife ecology. As a recent Texas transplant, Reece enjoys getting to know the local flora and fauna and exploring the Bryan-College Station area, as well as trying new restaurants, bird watching, reading, and football. Reece lives with his partner, Melanie, and their three cats.

Hayden is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. His research focuses on small mammal monitoring in South Texas and how they respond over time to environmental factors. He earned his M.S. in General Biology from Point Loma Nazarene University, where his program emphasized both biological research and college-level teaching in the biological sciences. During his master’s, he gained classroom and lab teaching experience in courses ranging from organismal biology to marine biology. Hayden is passionate about connecting wildlife conservation with outdoor traditions and management. In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing, hunting, raising animals, and spending time with his wife and young daughter.

Autumn Patterson is a Ph.D. student whose interest lays in spatial and landscape ecology of mammal. Particularly, she is interested in bighorn sheep and international conservation work with animals such as giraffes. She earned her B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Management from Auburn University and her M.S. in Agriculture and Natural Resources from Tarleton State University, where she studied ungulate occupancy and diel activity. Prior to graduate school, Autumn worked as a Wildlife Biologist with Quail Forever. Her field experience spans a wide range of taxa and ecosystems. Across the United States, she has worked on small and large mammal trapping, herpetofauna surveys—including gopher tortoise and alligator snapping turtle monitoring—and bird banding. She has also field work in South Africa and Kauaʻi. Autumn is an active member of The Wildlife Society, serving as a board member-at-large for the Habitat Restoration Working Group. She has also been involved in Tigers for Tigers and the Society for Conservation Biology. When she isn’t working, Autumn enjoys spending time with her husband, Dylan, and their two children, Alaiyah and Asher, traveling, camping, and frequenting coffee shops. She also enjoys wildlife photography and reading mystery novels.

Angela is a Master of Science student in Natural Resources as part of Texas A&M University’s Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Program, beginning Fall 2025. Her research interests explore the use of Conservation Dogs in field studies, with an emphasis on their dual role as service animals and conservation partners. After a distinguished corporate career—including serving as Senior Risk Advisor for Shell—Angela traded boardrooms and CEO greetings for early retirement to focus solely on the red dirt country life of Buffalo, Texas. She manages her family’s 232‑acre farm under agricultural and wildlife management plans, with experience spanning rodeo, livestock handling, beekeeping, timber management, habitat restoration, and wildlife management. Angela holds a Bachelor of Science from Ellis College of the New York Institute of Technology and an Associate of Arts from San Jacinto College, where she graduated summa cum laude and as Salutatorian. She also completed summer studies at Clare College, University of Cambridge, UK, and participated in a foreign honor student leadership program at the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Ryland is pursuing a Masters of Natural Resources through the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. Ryland received a Bachelor's degree from the department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management with a concentration in wildlife management from Texas A&M University. Along with growing up working on cattle ranches, Ryland has worked on various ranches across the state of Texas including La Copita in Alice, Texas, and the Welder Wildlife Foundation in Sinton, Texas. He also has had the opportunity to travel to South Carolina and work with the Nemours Wildlife Foundation on several of their conservation projects. His previous work experiences include management of various wildlife species including white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, and feral pigs. Ryland is also a member of the Texas A&M student chapter of The Wildlife Society. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family in the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and gaining experiences allowing for better wildlife management.