WoRCS Lab Alumni
Angela Brennan, PhD
2019-2022
Angela Brennan is a Research Associate and Conservation Scientist. Angela received a BS from the University of Wisconsin, an MS from Western Washington University and a PhD in Wildlife Biology from Montana State University.Angela spent 2 years working for the World Wildlife Fund on large mammal connectivity conservation in southern Africa and continues to be affiliated with the organization as a WWF Fellow. She has more than 10 years of experience studying the ecology and management of large mammal species and their movements in landscapes where humans and wildlife interact. She has a strong background conducting field work across mountain and savanna ecosystems and using sophisticated statistical modeling and survey technology to study animals remotely. Angela’s training originates from her PhD and post-doctoral work studying elk movement, predation and disease in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. During this time, she was also awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to research predator-prey dynamics and wildebeest migration in western Zambia. Angela’s work is published in top academic journals in ecology, conservation and wildlife management.
Current position: Lead Scientist with Conservation Science Partners
Becca Brunner, PhD
2015-2022
I am broadly interested in ecology and conservation in the tropics, particularly strategies that aim to benefit both biodiversity and the livelihoods of local people. I currently research the nexus of ecosystem services and conservation, as well as synergies between biodiversity and human health.
Contact: https://www.beccabrunner.com/
Contact Details
Dr. Sabine Cudney-Valenzuela
2023-Present
I am a landscape ecologist and for over ten years, I have worked at, lived in, and studied tropical human-modified landscapes. I have broad research interests that go from canopy ecology to socio-ecosystems, and my research is mainly guided by the intention to preserve biodiversity and ecological processes in our changing planet.
I completed my PhD at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where I studied the effects of different types of land-use change on forest fragment vegetation and its interlinked effects on the arboreal mammal community. I conducted the largest arboreal camera trapping study published in Mexico to date and identified landscape management actions to promote the resilience of arboreal mammals living in forest fragments. Wanting to bridge the gap between research and implementation, I later began working at the Santa Lucia Conservancy, a California land trust actively involved in nature restoration using science-based management. There, I developed a strategic recovery plan for the endangered Smith’s Blue Butterfly and guided habitat restoration actions across the Santa Lucia Preserve based on my findings.
As a WoRCS lab post-doctoral fellow, I will investigate the effects of diversified and simplified agricultural practices on seed-dispersing mammals and the repercussions this has on driving the patterns of seed dispersal and forest recovery in the Eje Cafetero region in Colombia.
Dr. Joséphine Gantois
2021-Present
I am an interdisciplinary scientist, primarily trained in economics and ecology. I currently work on assessing the ecological value and economic feasibility of converting marginal patches of crop fields to natural habitat across grain farms in Southern Ontario, using a combination of mapping, simulations, and semi-structured interviews.
In July 2023, I will start as an Assistant Professor in Human Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation at UBC, across the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, and the Food and Resource Economics Program. I plan to work on (1) estimating the causal impact of land use choices and conservation policies on biodiversity, (2) measuring and studying species and ecosystems at large scales, and (3) developing solutions to reconcile urgent land conservation goals in agricultural regions with farmer and agricultural stakeholder incentives.
Contact Details
ilkegel [at] student.ubc.ca
Ilke Geladi
2020-Present
Ilke Geladi is a PhD student in the WoRCS Lab under the supervision of Claire Kremen. Her research explores questions related to the conservation of landbirds in the agricultural zone of Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos archipelago.
During her undergraduate studies at McGill University in Montreal, QC, Ilke studied the evolutionary adaptation (or lack thereof) of two native fish prey species in response to a major impoundment event and to the introduction of an invasive predator in Gatun Lake in Panama. This fascinating study captivated her to join the research world.
Ilke continued her studies to obtain a Master’s degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems through the Erasmus Mundus Masters Programme (TROPIMUNDO). During her Master’s work, Ilke examined what agricultural landscape features were promoting landbird diversity and abundance in Santa Cruz, Galapagos. She also conducted semi-structured interviews with farmers to gain a basic understanding of landbird-farmer interactions.
Through her doctoral studies, she aims to tie together aspects from ecological, evolutionary and social disciplines to help inform a conservation plan. More specifically, she will study the ecosystem services and disservices landbirds provide to farmers as well as the effect of agricultural landscapes on evolutionary processes. She will work closely with local stakeholders with the aim of identifying optimal sites within the agricultural zone for forest restoration to aid landbird conservation. Her work at IRES is supported by an NSERC-CGSD grant.
In her free time, you can find her hiking through a forest, exploring new parts of the world or sharing a beer with friends.
Samantha Gorle
2023-Present
I am an MSc student in the IRES at UBC, co-supervised by Dr. Claire Kremen & Dr. Joséphine Gantois. I completed my BSc in Honours Biology at McGill University, and there I developed a passion for biodiversity conservation & landscape ecology and worked on a research project about expanding the protected area network across the Montreal region to improve connectivity for a variety of vertebrate species. Under the supervision of Dr. Kremen and Dr. Gantois, I will be working a habitat restoration project based in southern Ontario, looking at how restoring small, marginal patches of agriculture land to natural habitat impact regional capacity to support pollinator and small mammal populations. In my free time, I enjoy reading, trying new recipes, and painting.
Aidee Guzman, PhD
2017-2021
I am a NSF and UC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Irvine. With my postdoctoral mentor Dr. Kathleen Treseder, I am examining agroecological approaches that could harness biodiversity and ecosystem functioning for improved agricultural resilience. Specifically, I plan to investigate biotic interactions in soils that could improve crop tolerance to drought and mediate carbon allocation and resource exchange belowground. The overarching goal of my research program is to support farmers, especially those who are historically underserved, through research, education, and outreach that builds on their innovations and demonstrates ecological pathways to agricultural resilience.
Previously, I completed my Ph.D. with Dr. Claire Kremen and Dr. Timothy Bowles in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley. For my Ph.D., I am worked with small-scale farmers embedded in the monoculture landscape of California’s San Joaquin Valley. My research investigated how on-farm diversification practices impact soil health and link to other ecological processes (i.e. pollination) on agroecosystems.
Current position: NSF and UC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Irvine
Contact: aideeg [at] uci.edu | https://www.aideeguzman.com/about
Rassim Khelifa, PhD
2020-2022
Rassim was a postdoctoral fellow at the Kremen lab. his work was focused on understanding the variation of dragonfly diet across different types of agroecosystems with various diversification practices.
Current position: Rassim is an assistant professor at Concordia University
Contact Details
Dr. Adrian Lu
2024-Present
After a brief jaunt into the world of international diplomacy, I’m grateful to return to academia. My current project explores the synergies and trade-offs between multiple ecosystem functions along multi-scalar habitat complexity gradients in California’s Central Coast strawberry growing region. One of my priorities at UBC is to cultivate a deeper understanding of the relationships among traditional resource management, bio-cultural diversity, and human well-being. Trained as an ecologist and attorney, my primary preoccupation is the challenge of braiding together science and law to advocate for the interests of marginalized communities.
Carly McGregor, MSc
2019-2022
Carly’s research with the Kremen Lab Group focused on defining the pollinator efficiency and biodiversity-supporting capacities of incorporating managed native hedgerows and/or grassland set-asides into blueberry croplands in the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.
Current position: Carly is the Lab Manager of Plant-insect ecology and evolution lab at UBC.
Contact Details
singhv [at] zoology.ubc.ca
Gaurav Singh-Varma
2020-Present
Gaurav is a recent graduate from UBC with a BSc in Biology, and began his master’s thesis in the WoRCS lab in September 2020. Gaurav is primarily focused on the effects of diversified agricultural practices on animal movement and connectivity in multiple regions across the globe, including the Okanagan Valley in BC. He is also very passionate about animal behaviour and hopes to better understand the social relationships among large mammal groups in the future.
For the past year, Gaurav has been working as a research assistant in the WoRCS lab, analyzing acoustic space competition among frog species in Ecuador with Becca Brunner, and compiling and mapping animal movement data to broadly understand how agriculture affects animal movement with Dr. Angela Brennan. Some of his other previous research experiences include, surveying numerous wildlife populations and taxa in Madagascar as part of a long-term monitoring project, small mammal trapping in northern British Columbia, and investigating salamander homing behaviour in New York State. He also has extensive field research experience in general. Outside of research, he loves playing ice hockey, hiking, cooking, and spending time with friends and family, who count on his knack for finding the best spots to eat.
Sasha Tuttle, MSc
2021-2023
Sasha graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of the Fraser Valley in December 2020. This degree helped develop her background in ecology and inherent love for wildlife. Her desire to gain more experience in the field pushed her to return to university for post-graduate studies.
Sasha Tuttle enrolled in UBC’s Master of Science in Zoology program in January 2021. She pursued this degree under the supervision of Dr. Claire Kremen because of a shared interest in sustainable agricultural practices. Since then, she has studied wild pollinator contributions to blueberry farms in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and existing pollen deficits. She hopes to continue to contribute to finding ways to balance the needs of people and wildlife.
In her spare time, you can find Sasha hunting for frogs, reading or drawing.
Contact Details
vaniartha.vaniartha [at] oceans.ubc.ca
Vaniartha Vaniartha
2022-2023
Vania recently completed her BSc in Natural Resources Conservations at the UBC Faculty of Forestry. She joined the WoRCS Lab as a Work Learn student in September 2022, working on investigating seasonal, multi-species connectivity for large mammals in Kenya, especially in the context of community conservancies. This project is done in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy’s Africa Program and will support multi-stakeholder conservation initiatives in Kenya.
Contact Details
alinazengziyun [at] yahoo.com
Alina Ziyun Zeng
2022-2023
Learner, creator, and explorer at heart, I discover and express myself in various forms of art. Growing up close to nature in which I sought shelter and comfort, I built an inseparable bond with different landscapes and am committed to bridging the disconnect between our society and nature. I recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in urban forestry at the University of British Columbia, and am eager to learn about different fields. Currently I collaborate with WORCS lab investigating connectivity in Kenya using Maxent and CircuitScape modelling.