Wildlife Sciences | Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Source: https://warnell.uga.edu/research/content/wildlife-sciences
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:13
Wildlife Sciences | Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
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Wildlife Sciences
Research topics in the wildlife sciences area focus on the biological, ecological, and managerial aspects of wildlife populations. Our wildlife faculty are active in a variety of graduate teaching and research areas, including:
Population dynamics
Community ecology
Physiology and nutrition
Behavioral ecology
Wildlife diseases and population health
Habitat management
Nongame and endangered species
Urban wildlife management
Wildlife damage management
Conservation biology
Biometrics
Game management
Human dimensions of wildlife
Invasive species
Quantitative wildlife ecology
Wildlife population genetics
Graduate Degrees in Wildlife Sciences
The graduate program in wildlife sciences is designed to provide a strong background in the biological, ecological, and managerial aspects of the wildlife profession. Federal cooperative research and service units in Warnell bring additional adjunct faculty to the graduate wildlife program from the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Several wildlife faculty have collaborative teaching and research relationships with other academic units on campus, such as the Odum School of Ecology, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the College of Veterinary Medicine. These associations provide opportunities for interdisciplinary research projects.
CURRICULUM
Wildlife Science can be pursued under the MNR, MS, and PhD degree programs. Course requirements are at the discretion of major professors, but in general:
Master of Natural Resource students
within the wildlife sciences area of emphasis must complete a minimum of 33 course credit hours, 12 of which must be listed with the COFA, FANR, FISH, FORS, GISC, PRTM, or WILD prefix and 9 of which must be outside the primary study area.
Master of Science students
in wildlife sciences must complete at least 21 course credit hours, 12 of which at the graduate-only level (8000/9000) and 12 of which must be listed with the COFA, FANR, FISH, FORS, GISC, PRTM, or WILD prefix.
Doctor of Philosophy students
in wildlife sciences must complete a minimum of 21 course credit hours, 16 of which at the graduate-only level (8000/9000) and 12 of which listed with the COFA, FANR, FISH, FORS, GISC, PRTM, or WILD prefix.
QUESTIONS?
For general questions about pursuing a graduate degree at Warnell, contact a member of the graduate team:
Dr. Kyle Maurice Woosnam
, Graduate Coordinator
Office: 1-301A
Phone: 864-653-0167
Email:
woosnam@uga.edu
Kate deDufour
, Graduate Program Administrator
Office: 1-217
Phone: 706-542-1183
Prospective students should also contact faculty members for questions specific to this disciplinary area. Please check faculty members’ personal pages for information about their individual research interests and projects to ensure that you are contacting the most relevant ones.
Related Articles
Meet the Wild Turkey Doc: A Q&A with Mike Chamberlain
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 1:00pm
Mike Chamberlain, Ph.D., has spent more than three decades studying the iconic game bird, balancing his role as a leading academic with his passion as a hunter.
Using camera collars to look at urban coyote behavior in Atlanta
Thursday, May 29, 2025 - 12:55pm
Authored by: Carson Daniel
Warnell Researchers Earn Top Honors at UGA Research Awards
Thursday, April 3, 2025 - 3:00pm
Honorees recognized during 2025 UGA Research Awards Banquet as part of Honors Week
Beasley named Terrell Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Management
Friday, February 14, 2025 - 12:45pm
The University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources has appointed Dr.
Taking flight for feral hogs: Graduate student’s project investigates pigs’ patterns of destruction
Friday, September 29, 2023 - 1:57pm
Along with flooding, droughts and pests, farmers must contend with another large, smelly problem: feral hogs.
Personnel
James Beasley
Terrell Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Management
Cynthia Carter
Lecturer
Dr. Steven B. Castleberry
Professor, Wildlife Ecology and Management
Dr. Michael Chamberlain
National Wild Turkey Federation Distinguished Professor
Dr. Richard Chandler
Professor, Wildlife Ecology and Management
Gino D'Angelo
Associate Professor, Deer Ecology and Management
My research focuses on the ecology and management of deer species, primarily white-tailed deer. I and my students conduct studies aimed at improving deer population management, guiding science-driven management by state and federal agencies, mitigation of deer-human conflicts, and…
Dr. Jeff Hepinstall-Cymerman
Professor, Landscape Ecology
I am a landscape ecologist and am interested in studying patterns across landscapes. I apply spatial data and modeling techniques to ecological and social systems to measure patterns and processes and to explore the interactions between coupled natural and human systems. I explore landscape…
Dr. Sonia M. Hernandez, DVM, DACZM, PhD
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor, Wildlife Disease & Wildlife
I am interested in all aspects of wildlife disease, particularly how pathogens affect wildlife populations, communities and ecosystems and primarily with an applied perspective. I have and will continue to conduct research that attempts to understand how anthropogenic changes to the landscape…
Dr. Elizabeth G. King
Associate Professor, Ecosystem Ecology & Management
Community and ecosystem ecology, restoration ecology, dryland vegetation dynamics, social-ecological systems, pastoralism in Africa, Georgia coastal salt marshes, resilience, sustainability science
Michel T. Kohl
Associate Professor of Wildlife Management & Wildlife Extension Specialist
My research generally focuses on wildlife spatial ecology, the fitness consequences of spatial behaviors, and the implications of those behaviors for the conservation and management of wildlife. Under this umbrella, most of my previous research has focused on developing a better understanding of…
Dr. John Maerz
Dennis and Sarah Carey Distinguished Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources and Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
Dr. Maerz is broadly interested in animal ecology, evolution and conservation management. Much of his research focuses on the effects of terrestrial and aquatic environmental change, particularly the effects of nonnative species invasions, land use, and climate, on the ecology of amphibians and…
Dr. James Martin
Professor, Wildlife
In my lab we do research within and across three broad themes: landscape ecology and management, gamebird ecology and management, and sustainable agriculture and forestry. Birds and insects are the common taxa studied--a lot of quail work! We typical work in managed ecosystems where food,…
Dr. Clinton T. Moore
Adjunct Professor
structured decision makingadaptive managementdecision theoryoptimizationmodeling of natural resource systemssampling and estimation of wildlife populations
Dr. Nate Nibbelink
Professor, Spatial Ecology and Geographic Information Science, Associate Vice President for Strategic Research Growth, UGA Office of Research
Spatial patterns in fish and wildlife populations
GIS tools for natural resource decision-making
We apply spatial theory and technology to a broad range of ecological and management problems
Elizabeth F. Pienaar
Associate Professor, Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conservation
Conservation of wildlife, habitat and ecosystem services on private lands
Risks and benefits associated with the live animal trade
Economic valuation
Clark Rushing
Associate Professor of Wildlife
Dr. Brian Shamblin
Senior Research Scientist
My research focuses on the application of genetic tools to inform management and conservation. Much of this work has addressed knowledge gaps in marine turtle life history. Marine turtle populations are defined based on female natal homing, but the scale of this homing behavior is often…
Claire Teitelbaum
Assistant Unit Leader & Adjunct Assistant Professor
My research broadly covers movement, behavior, and population dynamics of wildlife, especially related to habitat, climate, and infectious diseases. I use and adapt quantitative methods to analyze and combine data sets from animal telemetry, biodiversity databases, biological surveys, and remote…
Dr. Michael Yabsley
Arnett C. Mace Jr. Distinguished Professor, Wildlife Disease
Wildlife Diseases, Zoonotic Diseases, Parasitology, Vector-borne pathogens
Support Warnell
We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience.
Learn more about giving
.
Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.
Get in touch
Warnell School of Forestry
and Natural Resources
University of Georgia
180 E Green Street
Athens, GA 30602-2152
Phone:
706-542-2686
Fax:
706-542-8356
Login for Faculty and Staff
Submit a Student Complaint
Skip to main content
Skip to main menu
Skip to spotlight region
Skip to secondary region
Skip to UGA region
Skip to Tertiary region
Skip to Quaternary region
Skip to unit footer
Slideshow
Wildlife Sciences
Research topics in the wildlife sciences area focus on the biological, ecological, and managerial aspects of wildlife populations. Our wildlife faculty are active in a variety of graduate teaching and research areas, including:
Population dynamics
Community ecology
Physiology and nutrition
Behavioral ecology
Wildlife diseases and population health
Habitat management
Nongame and endangered species
Urban wildlife management
Wildlife damage management
Conservation biology
Biometrics
Game management
Human dimensions of wildlife
Invasive species
Quantitative wildlife ecology
Wildlife population genetics
Graduate Degrees in Wildlife Sciences
The graduate program in wildlife sciences is designed to provide a strong background in the biological, ecological, and managerial aspects of the wildlife profession. Federal cooperative research and service units in Warnell bring additional adjunct faculty to the graduate wildlife program from the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Several wildlife faculty have collaborative teaching and research relationships with other academic units on campus, such as the Odum School of Ecology, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the College of Veterinary Medicine. These associations provide opportunities for interdisciplinary research projects.
CURRICULUM
Wildlife Science can be pursued under the MNR, MS, and PhD degree programs. Course requirements are at the discretion of major professors, but in general:
Master of Natural Resource students
within the wildlife sciences area of emphasis must complete a minimum of 33 course credit hours, 12 of which must be listed with the COFA, FANR, FISH, FORS, GISC, PRTM, or WILD prefix and 9 of which must be outside the primary study area.
Master of Science students
in wildlife sciences must complete at least 21 course credit hours, 12 of which at the graduate-only level (8000/9000) and 12 of which must be listed with the COFA, FANR, FISH, FORS, GISC, PRTM, or WILD prefix.
Doctor of Philosophy students
in wildlife sciences must complete a minimum of 21 course credit hours, 16 of which at the graduate-only level (8000/9000) and 12 of which listed with the COFA, FANR, FISH, FORS, GISC, PRTM, or WILD prefix.
QUESTIONS?
For general questions about pursuing a graduate degree at Warnell, contact a member of the graduate team:
Dr. Kyle Maurice Woosnam
, Graduate Coordinator
Office: 1-301A
Phone: 864-653-0167
Email:
woosnam@uga.edu
Kate deDufour
, Graduate Program Administrator
Office: 1-217
Phone: 706-542-1183
Prospective students should also contact faculty members for questions specific to this disciplinary area. Please check faculty members’ personal pages for information about their individual research interests and projects to ensure that you are contacting the most relevant ones.
Related Articles
Meet the Wild Turkey Doc: A Q&A with Mike Chamberlain
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 1:00pm
Mike Chamberlain, Ph.D., has spent more than three decades studying the iconic game bird, balancing his role as a leading academic with his passion as a hunter.
Using camera collars to look at urban coyote behavior in Atlanta
Thursday, May 29, 2025 - 12:55pm
Authored by: Carson Daniel
Warnell Researchers Earn Top Honors at UGA Research Awards
Thursday, April 3, 2025 - 3:00pm
Honorees recognized during 2025 UGA Research Awards Banquet as part of Honors Week
Beasley named Terrell Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Management
Friday, February 14, 2025 - 12:45pm
The University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources has appointed Dr.
Taking flight for feral hogs: Graduate student’s project investigates pigs’ patterns of destruction
Friday, September 29, 2023 - 1:57pm
Along with flooding, droughts and pests, farmers must contend with another large, smelly problem: feral hogs.
Personnel
James Beasley
Terrell Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Management
Cynthia Carter
Lecturer
Dr. Steven B. Castleberry
Professor, Wildlife Ecology and Management
Dr. Michael Chamberlain
National Wild Turkey Federation Distinguished Professor
Dr. Richard Chandler
Professor, Wildlife Ecology and Management
Gino D'Angelo
Associate Professor, Deer Ecology and Management
My research focuses on the ecology and management of deer species, primarily white-tailed deer. I and my students conduct studies aimed at improving deer population management, guiding science-driven management by state and federal agencies, mitigation of deer-human conflicts, and…
Dr. Jeff Hepinstall-Cymerman
Professor, Landscape Ecology
I am a landscape ecologist and am interested in studying patterns across landscapes. I apply spatial data and modeling techniques to ecological and social systems to measure patterns and processes and to explore the interactions between coupled natural and human systems. I explore landscape…
Dr. Sonia M. Hernandez, DVM, DACZM, PhD
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor, Wildlife Disease & Wildlife
I am interested in all aspects of wildlife disease, particularly how pathogens affect wildlife populations, communities and ecosystems and primarily with an applied perspective. I have and will continue to conduct research that attempts to understand how anthropogenic changes to the landscape…
Dr. Elizabeth G. King
Associate Professor, Ecosystem Ecology & Management
Community and ecosystem ecology, restoration ecology, dryland vegetation dynamics, social-ecological systems, pastoralism in Africa, Georgia coastal salt marshes, resilience, sustainability science
Michel T. Kohl
Associate Professor of Wildlife Management & Wildlife Extension Specialist
My research generally focuses on wildlife spatial ecology, the fitness consequences of spatial behaviors, and the implications of those behaviors for the conservation and management of wildlife. Under this umbrella, most of my previous research has focused on developing a better understanding of…
Dr. John Maerz
Dennis and Sarah Carey Distinguished Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources and Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
Dr. Maerz is broadly interested in animal ecology, evolution and conservation management. Much of his research focuses on the effects of terrestrial and aquatic environmental change, particularly the effects of nonnative species invasions, land use, and climate, on the ecology of amphibians and…
Dr. James Martin
Professor, Wildlife
In my lab we do research within and across three broad themes: landscape ecology and management, gamebird ecology and management, and sustainable agriculture and forestry. Birds and insects are the common taxa studied--a lot of quail work! We typical work in managed ecosystems where food,…
Dr. Clinton T. Moore
Adjunct Professor
structured decision makingadaptive managementdecision theoryoptimizationmodeling of natural resource systemssampling and estimation of wildlife populations
Dr. Nate Nibbelink
Professor, Spatial Ecology and Geographic Information Science, Associate Vice President for Strategic Research Growth, UGA Office of Research
Spatial patterns in fish and wildlife populations
GIS tools for natural resource decision-making
We apply spatial theory and technology to a broad range of ecological and management problems
Elizabeth F. Pienaar
Associate Professor, Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conservation
Conservation of wildlife, habitat and ecosystem services on private lands
Risks and benefits associated with the live animal trade
Economic valuation
Clark Rushing
Associate Professor of Wildlife
Dr. Brian Shamblin
Senior Research Scientist
My research focuses on the application of genetic tools to inform management and conservation. Much of this work has addressed knowledge gaps in marine turtle life history. Marine turtle populations are defined based on female natal homing, but the scale of this homing behavior is often…
Claire Teitelbaum
Assistant Unit Leader & Adjunct Assistant Professor
My research broadly covers movement, behavior, and population dynamics of wildlife, especially related to habitat, climate, and infectious diseases. I use and adapt quantitative methods to analyze and combine data sets from animal telemetry, biodiversity databases, biological surveys, and remote…
Dr. Michael Yabsley
Arnett C. Mace Jr. Distinguished Professor, Wildlife Disease
Wildlife Diseases, Zoonotic Diseases, Parasitology, Vector-borne pathogens
Support Warnell
We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience.
Learn more about giving
.
Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.
Get in touch
Warnell School of Forestry
and Natural Resources
University of Georgia
180 E Green Street
Athens, GA 30602-2152
Phone:
706-542-2686
Fax:
706-542-8356
Login for Faculty and Staff
Submit a Student Complaint