GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
Graduate students serve as the “lifeblood” of the research program at the Borderlands Research Institute. With their faculty mentor, graduate students collect and analyze data to help answer research questions posed by natural resource managers and land stewards.
Educational opportunities not only come in the more traditional settings of classrooms and lecture halls, but some of the most effective settings for teaching occur behind a windshield, under a shade tree, or on the side of a mountain. The dialogues and discussions that emerge in these outdoor learning environments will long be remembered by our students.
The Chihuahuan Desert Borderlands offer some of the most scenic outdoor classrooms available worldwide. From monitoring hummingbird nests and migration routes to assessing rangeland health, our students receive a wealth of opportunities working first hand with the natural resources.
M.S. thesis
Project: Seed-bank and invertebrate potential of arid southwestern wetland impoundments
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan O’Shaughnessy
M.S. thesis
Project: Overwinter habitat use of Baird’s and grasshopper’s sparrows in the Marfa Grasslands, Texas
Advisor:
Dr. Mieke Titulaer
M.S. thesis
Project: Assessing prevalence of eyeworm infestations in scaled quail throughout the Trans-Pecos region of Texas
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan Luna
M.S. thesis
Project: Quantify selection of specific habitat types for trans-located wild turkeys in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas.
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan Luna
M.S. thesis
Project: Desert mule deer translocation and restoration efforts in the Trans-Pecos
Advisor:
Dr. Louis A. Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Investigating primary forages, diet shifts associated with supplemental feed and vegetation associations with eyeworm infestations in scaled quail
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan Luna
M.S. thesis
Project: Estimating mountain lion density using spatial capture-recapture techniques
Advisor:
Dr. Patricia Moody Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Evaluation of soil erosion and changes in plant communities resulting from rooting behavior of invasive wild pigs in the Edwards Plateau ecoregion of Texas
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan Luna
M.S. thesis
Project: Movements, survival, and habitat use of desert bighorn sheep in the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, Texas
Advisor:
Dr. Louis A. Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Evaluating sympatric relationships between desert bighorn sheep and aoudad
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan O’Shaughnessy
M.S. thesis
Project: Assess the effects of management prescriptions on knotgrass and its energetic
production value for migratory birds
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan O’Shaughnessy
Ph.D
Project: Spatial, temporal, and demographic characteristics of desert bighorn sheep in west Texas
Advisors:
Dr. Louis Harveson and Dr. Roel Lopez (Texas A&M University)
M.S. thesis
Project: Modeling occupancy and potential distribution of kit fox in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas
Advisor:
Dr. Patricia Moody Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Mule deer utilization of urban environments during the rut
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan Luna
M.S. thesis
Project: Comparative ecology of Gambel’s and scaled quail
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan Luna
M.S. thesis
Project: Influence of agriculture on mule deer in the Texas Panhandle
Advisor:
Dr. Louis Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: A carrying capacity estimate and grazing regime analysis based on pronghorn preferred forage in The Trans-Pecos, Texas
Advisor:
Dr. Louis A. Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Developing a soil water balance and reseeding techniques of native grasses in a grassland restoration area after being chemically treated with Tebuthiuron in the Chihuahuan Desert
Advisor:
Dr. Bonnie Warnock
M.S. thesis
Project: Estimating mammalian predator and prey population densities in the Davis Mountains, Texas, using spatial capture-recapture techniques
Advisor:
Dr. Patricia Moody Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Ecology of Montezuma quail in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico
Advisor:
Dr. Ryan Luna
M.S. thesis
Project: Habitat relationships of grassland birds in the Chihuahuan Desert
Advisor:
Dr. Louis Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Movement and habitat use of translocated pronghorn in the Trans-Pecos, Texas
Advisor:
Dr. Louis A. Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Using quail and grassland birds as indicators of Chihuahuan Desert grassland ecosystem health
Advisors:
Dr. Ryan O’Shaughnessy and Dr. Ryan Luna
M.S. thesis
Project: Influence of prairie dog colonies on vegetation and cattle movement in the Marathon Basin
Advisors:
Dr. Whitney Gann and Dr. Louis Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Ecosystem services provided by mountain lion predation in the Davis Mountains
Advisor:
Dr. Patricia Moody Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Black-tailed prairie dog restoration via translocation in the Trans-Pecos ecoregion
Advisor:
Dr. Bonnie Warnock
M.S. thesis
Project: Post-release survival and movements of captive-reared white-tailed deer following liberation
Advisor:
Dr. Louis A. Harveson
M.S. thesis
Project: Using quail and grassland birds as indicators of Chihuahuan Desert grassland ecosystem health
Advisors:
Dr. Ryan Luna and Dr. Ryan O’Shaughnessy
Interested in joining our team? Visit the Sul Ross graduate admissions page for information on applying to our graduate program.