PEOPLE

Primary Investigator

Dr. Clint Boal: Clint received his BS (1991), MS (1992) and PhD (1997) in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Arizona.

My research is directed at addressing contemporary research and information needs of wildlife management agencies. Although this covers a broad spectrum, my primary research interests is the ecology and conservation of 1) predatory birds and their roles in biotic communities, 2) arid lands species in context of human land use practices and climate change, and 3) migrant and resident species in the tropics.

Research Staff

Dr. Ben Skipper received his BS from Auburn University, MS from the University of Nebraska - Kearny, and his PhD from Texas Tech University.

Ben studied multiple aspect of the ecology of urban nesting Mississippi kites for his doctoral research. As a Post-doctoral Research Assistant, he is currently developing a survey and occupancy modeling program for Golden Eagles in the Intermountain West.

Current Graduate Students

Ms. Becki Perkins received her BS from the University of Georgia and her MS at Texas Tech University.

For her MS research, Becki studied the behavioral response of bobwhite to different predation risks. This led to her doctoral research focusing on the influence of transmitter attachment types and weight loads on flight and survival of both prey and predator birds.

Ms. Brandi Welch received her BS from the University of Texas - San Antonio and her MS from Texas Tech University.

Brandi examined prey use and delivery rates of urban nesting Mississippi kites in Lubbock TX for her MS. She is continuing her studies of the species for her doctoral work, focusing on the role of prey abundance on behavioral aspects of reproductive ecology.

Ms. Kristen Linner received her BS from Taylor University.

For her MS research, Kristen is monitoring avian abundance and change in association with wind energy development, with emphasis on habitat associations of resident and wintering American Kestrels.








Mr. Trevor Gicklhorn (BS 2013, Texas Tech University) has been a lab member for the last few years as an undergraduate assisting with various graduate student projects. He has co-authored posters and even given an oral presentation on research he has been involved in at the annual meetings of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society. His MS research will focus on season and environmental condition influences on wildlife use of man-made water sources in West Texas.

Ms. Laurie Groen (BS 2013, Stephen F. Austin State University) has moved from the humid southeast Texas to the arid panhandle to join the lab for an MS program. For her research she will be using GPS transmitters to assess aspects of sex- and age-specific movement rates and habitat use of Swainson's Hawks from their breeding grounds in the Texas Panhandle to their wintering grounds in Argentina.