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Dr. Andy Kouba – Director of Conservation and Research |
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Academic background: Ph.D. in Animal Molecular and Cell Biology
interdisciplinary program concentration in Reproductive Physiology,
University of Florida, FL; M.S. in Animal Physiology, Clemson
University, SC; B.S. in Zoology and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation,
Northwest Missouri State University, MO.
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Conservation interests: reproductive ecology, assisted reproductive
technologies, restoration ecology, forest health, remote sensing, and
climate change |
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Current research direction/interests: Dr. Kouba has several projects he
is actively engaged with including developing assisted reproductive
technologies for breeding endangered amphibians, carnivore ecology and
conservation in the Pantanal, Brazil, giant panda nutritional ecology,
forest and bamboo restoration in the Qinling mountains of China,
reproductive monitoring in captivity and the wild for various mammal
species, landscape-scale conservation, biodiversity surveys, remote
sensing for wildlife, and design of reintroduction programs for
amphibians. Dr. Kouba is also developing unique social economic
programs to involve local communities in conservation efforts. |
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Carolyn Apanavicius – Research Nutritionist |
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Academic background: M.S. in Nonruminant/Companion Animal Nutrition, 2007 and B.S. Animal
Science, 2004 from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Conservation interests: Nutritional ecology of the giant panda |
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Current research direction/interests: Carolyn’s projects focus on the influence of bamboo nutrient
composition on seasonal selection by the giant panda for consumption.
This includes analysis of starch, sugars, and minerals to determine if
changes in their concentrations may play a role in the seasonal switch
of the giant panda from consuming a diet of bamboo leaf to bamboo Culm
(stem). She is also interested in working towards gaining a better
understanding of how the giant panda utilizes its bamboo diet. |
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Dr. Erin Willis – Reproductive Physiologist |
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Academic background: Ph.D. in Molecular and Integrative Physiology,
with a concentration on Reproductive Physiology; Pharmacology and
Biochemistry, minors, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 2007; B.S. in
Animal Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 2000
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Conservation interests: Physiological and reproductive biology of
endangered species, assisted reproductive technologies in endangered
species/species with poor captive reproduction
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Current research direction/projects: Dr. Willis’s projects are
designed to contribute to a greater understanding of the reproductive
physiology of species in which little is known and to aid in captive
husbandry and breeding efforts of endangered species, particularly in
cases of re-introduction plans of captive-bred offspring into the
wild. Dr. Willis’s research projects are currently focusing on 1)
assisted reproductive technologies and the development of optimal
freezing techniques for sperm cryopreservation in endangered
amphibians; 2) reproductive steroid hormone monitoring in giant pandas;
and 3) characterization of seasonal reproductive hormones and the
reproductive cycle in critically endangered Amur and Snow leopards. |
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Dr. Jon Davis – Post-doctoral fellow (Memphis Zoo/Rhodes College Environmental Sciences Program) |
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Academic background: Ph.D. in Biology, Arizona State University 2008; B.S. in Biology, Northern Arizona University 2001
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Conservation interests: Physiological and behavioral ecology of at-risk
species, animal responses to anthropogenic activities, development of
novel species monitoring technologies
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Current research direction/projects: Dr. Davis currently balances post-doctoral responsibilities between the
Memphis Zoo and Rhodes College where he and his students develop
laboratory and field-based projects to assess physiological and
behavioral responses of animals to habitat change, urbanization, and
climate change. He also develops new applications of existing
technologies to study population structure, habitat use and movement
patterns, and physiological ecology of animals in nature. Dr. Davis
will contribute to the Memphis Zoo’s biodiversity conservation program
by developing a collaborative study of the physiological ecology and
reproductive biology of the critically endangered Chinese Giant
Salamander in the Foping National Nature Reserve (FNNR) in the Qingling
Mountains of China. He will also use this flagship species to establish
a reptile and amphibian inventory and monitoring program in FNNR. Dr.
Davis’ current projects include: (1) Effectiveness and potential
consequences of marking techniques in juvenile amphibians, (2)
Influence of urbanization on the physiological ecology and reproductive
biology of snakes, and (3) Effectiveness of Passive Integrative
Transponder (PIT) tags as an affordable tracking devices in habitat use
studies. |
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Dr. Jiang Pingping – Post-doctoral fellow (Forest Health Program) |
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Academic background: Ph.D. in Environmental Soil Science, M.S. in
Statistics, University of Missouri 2007. B.S. in Horticultural Science,
Beijing Forestry University.
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Conservation interests: Forest restoration in degraded areas, carbon in forest ecosystems, ecological indicators.
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Current research direction/projects: Dr. Jiang’s projects focus on
Foping National Nature Reserve (FNNR) in Qinling Mountains of China,
where she will be investigating soil carbon stock as affected by forest
management and above-ground vegetation diversity. She is also involved
in the collaborative research of Qinling Mountain bamboo ecology and
physiology with Southwestern Forestry University in Yunan, China, as
part of the Memphis Zoo’s biodiversity conservation program. She will
also play a role in a socioeconomic project in Sino-US Forest Health
and Restoration Program site, near FNNR, to study the impact of
government-supported community programs (e.g., biogas-stove, economical
tree farm and wildlife breeding facility) on reducing human pressure on
forest ecosystems. |
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Rachel Hansen – Research Biologist / Behaviorist |
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Rachel has just left the Memphis Zoo for a conservation position in
Guam working on conservation issues related to brown tree snake
eradication and Marianas Island bird preservation. This is a signature
project for our institution and is spear-headed by curator Herb Roberts. |
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Current Research Associates: |
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Dr. Carrie Vance – Research Scientist, Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Cell Sciences, Mississippi State University, MS. Visiting
assistant professor, Department of Biology, University of Memphis, TN.
Field of expertise: spectroscopy, remote sensing, biochemical systems
and reproductive ecology. http://biology.memphis.edu/faculty.htm
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Dr. Scott Willard – Professor, Chair Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Cell Sciences, Mississippi State University, MS. Field of
expertise: reproductive physiology of domestic livestock (cattle and
small ruminants) and non-domestic species, applications of thermal
imaging, photonic imaging and image analysis.
http://www.biochemistry.msstate.edu |
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Dr. Frank van Manen – Research Ecologist/Adjunct Professor; U.S.
Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Southern Appalachian
Research Branch/Dept. of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University
of Tennessee. Field of expertise: habitat ecology of mammals,
particularly bears and other large carnivores. Apply principles of
landscape ecology to predict species distributions, determine wildlife
responses to landscape changes, and to examine genetic patterns and
population abundance. Click here for the USGS unit webpage. |
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Dr. Wei Fuwen – Professor, Deputy Director, Institute of Zoology;
Director, Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute
of Zoology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Field of expertise:
ecology, behavior, conservation genetics, conservation biology of
engendered species, such as giant panda and red panda. |
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Dr. Wenyuan Dong – Dean and professor, Bamboo and Rattan Research
Institute, Southwestern Forestry University. Field of expertise: bamboo
physiology and ecology. |
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Dr. George Fahey Jr. – Professor of Animal Sciences and Nutritional
Sciences and Kraft Foods Endowed Professor, Department of Animal
Sciences, University of Illinois. Field of expertise: comparative
nutrition; carbohydrate nutrition; dietary fiber; gastrointestinal
tract health; fermentation; pet animal nutrition.
http://pets.ansci.uiuc.edu |
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Dr. David Kesler – Professor, Biology Department, Rhodes College,
Memphis TN. Field of expertise: freshwater and coral reef ecology;
freshwater mussels. http://faculty.rhodes.edu/kesler/
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| Dr. Leandro Silveira - President, Jaguar Conservation Foundation. Field of expertise: jaguar ecology, management and conservation; carnivore population studies. Leandro coordinates long-term jaguar population monitoring programs in the Cerrado, Pantanal, Amazon and Caatinga, as well as Brazil-wide projects concerning jaguar distribution, genetics, and perception of the species by rural communities.
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Current Graduate Students: The Memphis Zoo supports several graduate
students that are part of our research associates programs. Our current
students and their projects are listed below. |
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Tiantian Feng – Mammal diversity and its relationship to landscape
characteristics in the Qinling Mountains of China. Chinese Academy of
Sciences and University of Tennessee
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Erin Trueblood – Phytochemical analysis of bamboo and impacts on giant panda physiology. Mississippi State University |
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Past Graduate Students: In addition to our current students we also
recognize several outstanding graduate students who have graduated with
their Ph.D. or M.S.
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Jen Parsons – Disturbance and temporal effects on bamboo nutritional
composition and its palatability to giant pandas. Mississippi State
University
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Erin Weidower – Use of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy to
investigate selection and nutrient utilization of bamboo to monitor the
physiological status of giant pandas. Texas A&M University |
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Wei Wang – Bamboo ecology and regeneration in the Qinling Mountains, China. University of Memphis |
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Tommy Finley – Giant pandas balance energy budget with metabolic
depression; insights from radar detection of heart rates. University of
Arkansas at Little Rock
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Juli Simms – Understanding the foraging strategy of the giant panda:
relationship to bamboo nutritional dynamics. Mississippi State
University
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