About Us
Advancing conservation science through research, education, and partnerships across the Borderlands.
Maureen G. Frank, PhD
James A. “Buddy” Davidson Charitable Foundation Endowed Professor and Associate Professor of Conservation BiologyBird Conservation and Research Scientist
Borderlands Research Institute
Sul Ross State University
Alpine, TX 79832
Maureen G. Frank
Originally from Colorado, Dr. Maureen Frank first came to Texas for her undergraduate degree. After graduating with a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from Texas A&M University in 2012, Maureen moved to Logan, Utah for graduate school. Her dissertation focused on the ecology of 3 migratory waterbirds – eared grebes, Wilson’s phalaropes, and red-necked phalaropes – that rely on Great Salt Lake as a staging area before flying south for the winter. She graduated from Utah State University with her Ph.D. in 2016 and returned to Texas to work for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service as a Wildlife Extension Specialist. Her extension work focused mainly on non-game species and helping small-acreage landowners understand wildlife management options. She was also involved in efforts to connect landowners with ecotourism opportunities such as birding. Maureen’s primary interest remains connecting people to the land in a way that encourages conservation, and her research interests include grassland bird research, working lands conservation, and science communication.
Selected Publications
- Conover, M. R., and M. G. Frank. 2025. Mercury and selenium concentrations in red-necked and Wilson’s phalaropes at Great Salt Lake, Utah. Waterbirds 47(4):1–9.
- Jaebker, L. M., A. D. Bright, H. Ellis, J. M. Tomeček, M. G. Frank, R. L. Connally, S. A. Shwiff, and K. M. Carlisle. 2023. Texas hunters’ attitudes toward wild pigs (Sus scrofa) and their management: an applied approach for wildlife managers. Wildlife Society Bulletin 47:e1472.
- Restivo, K. N., S. Smith, and M. G. Frank. 2023. A mediated peer-to-peer prescribed fire outreach program for Texas Hill Country landowners. Rangeland Ecology and Management 91:55–63.
- Frank, M. G., and M. R. Conover. 2022. Foraging behavior of red-necked (Phalaropus lobatus) and Wilson’s (P. tricolor) phalaropes on Great Salt Lake, Utah. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 133:538-551.
- Connally, R. L., M. G. Frank, G. E. Briers, N. J. Silvy, K. M. Carlisle, and J. M. Tomeček. 2021. Hunter motivations and use of wild pigs in Texas, USA. Human-Wildlife Interactions 15:32–43.
- Frank, M. G. 2019. Identifying venomous and nonvenomous snakes in Texas. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension EWF-106.