Director
Thomas E. Lovejoy, PhD
University Professor, Environmental Science and Policy
I became fascinated with biological diversity when I was 14 and that automatically led me to be concerned about conservation. At the time I turned my hand to environment and conservation, the number of endangered species worldwide was modest. To be sure there were the first signs of more pervasive problems heralded in Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” but they seemed amenable to straightforward and simple...read more about me and my research here
University Professor, Environmental Science and Policy
I became fascinated with biological diversity when I was 14 and that automatically led me to be concerned about conservation. At the time I turned my hand to environment and conservation, the number of endangered species worldwide was modest. To be sure there were the first signs of more pervasive problems heralded in Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” but they seemed amenable to straightforward and simple...read more about me and my research here
Graduate Students
Sudha Balajapalli
PhD Candidate, Environmental Science and Policy (Policy track)
My research focus is on tiger conservation. The objectives of my research are to 1) mitigate wildlife crime through the use of wildlife forensics; 2) bring conservation awareness to local communities in tiger conservation landscapes; and 3) change policy governing wildlife for better tiger conservation. Currently I am a PhD student studying Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University. I am also a Graduate Intern at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I have an undergraduate degree in Biology and a Masters degree in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University.
PhD Candidate, Environmental Science and Policy (Policy track)
My research focus is on tiger conservation. The objectives of my research are to 1) mitigate wildlife crime through the use of wildlife forensics; 2) bring conservation awareness to local communities in tiger conservation landscapes; and 3) change policy governing wildlife for better tiger conservation. Currently I am a PhD student studying Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University. I am also a Graduate Intern at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I have an undergraduate degree in Biology and a Masters degree in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University.
Cecilia Beatriz Barriga Bahamonde
PhD Candidate, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
I am a Peruvian biologist strongly interested in the conservation of our environment. My dissertation research focuses on relating mammal diversity with the ecosystem services that they provide. I wish to enhance knowledge on the importance of every species on the functioning of the environment and how this directly affects us. I will center my study on species rich areas of the Peruvian Amazon and other areas with lower biodiversity. Previously, I have studied seabirds and their relationship with anchovy fisheries in Peru, and the geomorphometry of rodents and their distribution in Ecuador. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in the Biological Sciences from Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, and my master’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation of Tropical Areas from Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo. You can reach me on LinkedIn and ResearchGate.
PhD Candidate, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
I am a Peruvian biologist strongly interested in the conservation of our environment. My dissertation research focuses on relating mammal diversity with the ecosystem services that they provide. I wish to enhance knowledge on the importance of every species on the functioning of the environment and how this directly affects us. I will center my study on species rich areas of the Peruvian Amazon and other areas with lower biodiversity. Previously, I have studied seabirds and their relationship with anchovy fisheries in Peru, and the geomorphometry of rodents and their distribution in Ecuador. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in the Biological Sciences from Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, and my master’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation of Tropical Areas from Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo. You can reach me on LinkedIn and ResearchGate.
Richard Brown
MS Student, Environmental Science and Policy
Richard is a master's student pursuing a concentration in Environmental Science and Policy (EVSP). He graduated in 2017 from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Fish & Wildlife Conservation. During his time as an undergraduate he worked in a variety of field and laboratory positions. He currently works as a paralegal for an immigration law firm and is hoping to focus his master's degree on the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project in Brazil.
MS Student, Environmental Science and Policy
Richard is a master's student pursuing a concentration in Environmental Science and Policy (EVSP). He graduated in 2017 from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Fish & Wildlife Conservation. During his time as an undergraduate he worked in a variety of field and laboratory positions. He currently works as a paralegal for an immigration law firm and is hoping to focus his master's degree on the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project in Brazil.
Marcus Chua
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
I am interested in Southeast Asian mammal evolutionary history, and the ecology and conservation of mammals in threatened, human-modified, and fragmented landscapes. My BSc and MSc training was at the National University of Singapore (NUS), with my graduate research thesis on the ecology and conservation of the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) in Singapore. I worked at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, NUS, and am passionate about outreach and science communication. I am on the Environmental Science and Public Policy PhD program working on a dissertation on chevrotains (mouse-deer). Follow me on Twitter.
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
I am interested in Southeast Asian mammal evolutionary history, and the ecology and conservation of mammals in threatened, human-modified, and fragmented landscapes. My BSc and MSc training was at the National University of Singapore (NUS), with my graduate research thesis on the ecology and conservation of the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) in Singapore. I worked at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, NUS, and am passionate about outreach and science communication. I am on the Environmental Science and Public Policy PhD program working on a dissertation on chevrotains (mouse-deer). Follow me on Twitter.
Anne Safiya Clay
PhD Candidate, Environmental Science and Policy (Policy track)
I am particularly interested in the relationship between culture and the development of environmental ethics, especially with respect to the conservation and welfare of wild animals. I am also proficient in five languages: English, French, Russian, Korean, and German. My PhD research in Environmental Science and Policy will focus on a comparative study of zoos in the United States, South Korea, and France - specifically how these institutes fit into the larger context of the twenty-first century debate on modern zoos. I received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Biology and Society from Arizona State University and was awarded a Boren Fellowship to South Korea, where I conducted research at the Seoul Zoo. My master’s thesis, which explored the zoo’s animal welfare management and conservation priorities, has been published as a chapter in The Ark and Beyond, a book on the evolution of zoo and aquarium conservation.
PhD Candidate, Environmental Science and Policy (Policy track)
I am particularly interested in the relationship between culture and the development of environmental ethics, especially with respect to the conservation and welfare of wild animals. I am also proficient in five languages: English, French, Russian, Korean, and German. My PhD research in Environmental Science and Policy will focus on a comparative study of zoos in the United States, South Korea, and France - specifically how these institutes fit into the larger context of the twenty-first century debate on modern zoos. I received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Biology and Society from Arizona State University and was awarded a Boren Fellowship to South Korea, where I conducted research at the Seoul Zoo. My master’s thesis, which explored the zoo’s animal welfare management and conservation priorities, has been published as a chapter in The Ark and Beyond, a book on the evolution of zoo and aquarium conservation.
Drew Riggleman
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
I am a native of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and feel very fortunate to conduct my research in the place that I call home. My dissertation focuses on the study of private protected lands in and around the Shenandoah Valley in reference to changes in habitat types such as forests, grasslands, and agricultural lands/easements as these lands provide services such as carbon sequestration and soil preservation. The main components of my research include: 1.) an outreach component: how can we communicate the value of private lands conservation to the private landowners as well as to local and regional governments?, 2.) current regional easement status: on-the-ground practice and management vs. what is written in text, and 3.) remote-sensing applications: is there a way to conduct an assessment of these private lands at a larger spatial scale? What will the assessment uncover and how can this information be used to impact policy and management practices? What effects will the assessment have on biodiversity and ecosystems? I earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and biochemistry from James Madison University and a master’s degree in biology from George Mason University. In my free time, I love spending time finding new trails to run on with my dog Steve!
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
I am a native of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and feel very fortunate to conduct my research in the place that I call home. My dissertation focuses on the study of private protected lands in and around the Shenandoah Valley in reference to changes in habitat types such as forests, grasslands, and agricultural lands/easements as these lands provide services such as carbon sequestration and soil preservation. The main components of my research include: 1.) an outreach component: how can we communicate the value of private lands conservation to the private landowners as well as to local and regional governments?, 2.) current regional easement status: on-the-ground practice and management vs. what is written in text, and 3.) remote-sensing applications: is there a way to conduct an assessment of these private lands at a larger spatial scale? What will the assessment uncover and how can this information be used to impact policy and management practices? What effects will the assessment have on biodiversity and ecosystems? I earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and biochemistry from James Madison University and a master’s degree in biology from George Mason University. In my free time, I love spending time finding new trails to run on with my dog Steve!
Tovah Siegel
PhD Candidate, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
I am a PhD candidate studying the impacts of forest fragmentation on species interactions in the Brazilian Amazon. Specifically, I focus on fruit-frugivore and plant-pollinator interactions, with my research taking place at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project. I received my Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Puget Sound. I have worked for various non-governmental organizations as an intern including the Amazon Conservation Association in Washington, D.C. and the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. In 2018, I was awarded a Boren Fellowship to learn Portuguese and begin my research in Brazil. I was recently awarded a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship to continue working on my dissertation in Brazil.
PhD Candidate, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
I am a PhD candidate studying the impacts of forest fragmentation on species interactions in the Brazilian Amazon. Specifically, I focus on fruit-frugivore and plant-pollinator interactions, with my research taking place at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project. I received my Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Puget Sound. I have worked for various non-governmental organizations as an intern including the Amazon Conservation Association in Washington, D.C. and the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. In 2018, I was awarded a Boren Fellowship to learn Portuguese and begin my research in Brazil. I was recently awarded a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship to continue working on my dissertation in Brazil.
Ben Stablow
MS Student, Environmental Science and Policy
I am pursuing an MS in Environmental Science and Policy, with a focus on conservation. In the past I have participated in a research project examining the effects of sustainable logging operations in Belize on the population demographics of Jaguars and other native cats. As a student at George Mason University, I am interested in studying how ecosystems respond at the population and community levels to anthropogenic stressors like climate change.
MS Student, Environmental Science and Policy
I am pursuing an MS in Environmental Science and Policy, with a focus on conservation. In the past I have participated in a research project examining the effects of sustainable logging operations in Belize on the population demographics of Jaguars and other native cats. As a student at George Mason University, I am interested in studying how ecosystems respond at the population and community levels to anthropogenic stressors like climate change.
Kiel Stone
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy (Policy track)
I am interested in U.S. agricultural policy – particularly the perverse incentive structures it can create and how that can lead to negative consequences for conservation and biodiversity. When not in class, I am the Associate Director for George Mason’s Business for a Better World Center. Previously, I worked at the Nature Conservancy, and spent five years as Chief of Staff for an elected official in Fairfax County. I am also honored to serve on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board, where I help oversee and establish priorities for a 24,000-acre public park system in Virginia’s most populous jurisdiction. I have a master’s degree in natural resources from Virginia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in economics from George Mason University. Say hello on LinkedIn.
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy (Policy track)
I am interested in U.S. agricultural policy – particularly the perverse incentive structures it can create and how that can lead to negative consequences for conservation and biodiversity. When not in class, I am the Associate Director for George Mason’s Business for a Better World Center. Previously, I worked at the Nature Conservancy, and spent five years as Chief of Staff for an elected official in Fairfax County. I am also honored to serve on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board, where I help oversee and establish priorities for a 24,000-acre public park system in Virginia’s most populous jurisdiction. I have a master’s degree in natural resources from Virginia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in economics from George Mason University. Say hello on LinkedIn.
Will Hackman
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy
Eleanor King
MS Student, Environmental Science and Policy
MS Student, Environmental Science and Policy
Marco Pelli
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
PhD Student, Environmental Science and Policy (Science track)
Alumni
Derric Tay, Ph.D. , Environmental Science and Policy 2020. "Evaluating the Forest Protection Benefits of Costa Rica's Payment for Environmental Services Program".
Becky Conway, M.S., Environmental Science and Policy 2020. "Examining ExtInked: Beyond the Black and White Print of Species Conservation".
Ben Feinsilver, M.S., Environmental Science and Policy 2019.
Lisa Lacivita, Ph.D., Environmental Science and Policy 2019: "Amphibian Monitoring for Ecosystem Services, Citizen Engagement and Public Policy".
Rachel E. Golden Kroner, Ph.D., Environmental Science and Policy 2019: "The Impermanence of Protected Areas in Amazonia & Implications for Conservation Science and Policy".
Elizabeth Ashby, M.S., Environmental Science and Policy 2019: "Human Behavioral Risk Factors for Zoonotic Disease Transmission in Laikipia, Kenya".
Advait Jukar, Ph.D., Environmental Science and Policy 2018 (advisor Mark Uhen): "Temporal Turnover in Late Neogene and Quaternary Mammal Assemblages" and M.S. Environmental Science and Policy 2014: "Associations Between Herbivore Functional Group Diversity and Density and Ecosystem Functioning in the Caribbean"
Myra Butt, M.S., Environmental Science and Policy 2016: An Additionality Approach to Global Blue Carbon Conservation
Roshani Dangi, Ph.D., Environmental Science and Policy 2015: "REDD+ and Biodiversity Conservation in Nepal"
Claudia Harris, M.S., Environmental Science and Policy 2015: "A case study of the Yasuni ITT Block and the Camisea oil project"
Sarah Dougher M.S., Environmental Science and Policy 2014.
Meredith Penthorn, M.S., Environmental Science and Policy 2014: "The Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Habitat Use in Native Small Mammals"
Staff
Carmen R. Thorndike
Director of Operations
Carmen Thorndike has been with Professor Thomas E. Lovejoy since 1987, when he was Vice President for Science at the World Wildlife Fund. Since that time, she has served with him at the Smithsonian Institution, The World Bank, United Nations Foundation, The Heinz Center and George Mason University. Ms. Thorndike is originally from Peru and speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
Director of Operations
Carmen Thorndike has been with Professor Thomas E. Lovejoy since 1987, when he was Vice President for Science at the World Wildlife Fund. Since that time, she has served with him at the Smithsonian Institution, The World Bank, United Nations Foundation, The Heinz Center and George Mason University. Ms. Thorndike is originally from Peru and speaks Spanish and Portuguese.