Werdel Wildlife Lab
Current Lab Members
Dr. Werdel is a wildlife ecologist who primarily studies mammalian species. He is interested in how wildlife interacts within communities and their surrounding, ever-changing landscapes. He was born on the Lake Traverse Reservation in northeastern South Dakota, but spent much of his life as a Nebraskan. New to Texas, Ty enjoys spending most of his free time with his wife Chelsea, daughter Raylan, and dog Husker. Currently he is an Assistant professor within the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. Ty teaches Techniques of Wildlife Management and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Seminar. You can see Dr. Werdel's full professional record on the CV page. Pertinent links to sites regarding Ty's social media and research can be found on the Contact page.
Ty J. Werdel, Ph.D.
Lab PI
CV
Contact
Daniel is a PhD student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. His research focuses on the ecological impacts of different vegetation management strategies on biodiversity in solar farms. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University – Kingsville. Daniel has managed cattle as well as both exotic and native ungulates on various ranches throughout Texas. He has also investigated the impacts of extreme climatic events on ungulate distributions using trail cameras. Additionally, he is an active member of several organizations, including the Texas Wildlife Association, the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Ducks Unlimited, the Society for Range Management, and the National Wild Turkey Federation. In his free time, Daniel enjoys spending time with his wife, Cassidy, by visiting new places, fly fishing, and training his dog, Stihl, for duck hunting.
Daniel Ramirez
Ph.D. Student
CV
Conner's research interests include landscape ecology, carnivore ecology and conservation, and mammalogy. He is currently developing a project with Dr. Werdel focusing on Texas javelina distribution, occupancy, and movement in Texas. Besides javelinas, he has worked on plains spotted skunks in South Dakota, ecological diversity in Iowa, swift foxes in Kansas, and muskrats in Minnesota. He received his bachelor's degree in Wildlife Ecology and Management from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, where he was heavily involved in the student chapter of The Wildlife Society. He is also a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Mammalogists, The Wildlife Society, and the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society. In his free time, he enjoys birding, adding species to his life list, and reading about western history or the history of wildlife.
Conner Ties
M.S. Student
CV
Dave is a MS student developing long-term wildlife monitoring programs for a ranch in south Texas to collect data on mammals, birds, herps, and insects. He received his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Penn State and was involved with the student chapters of The Wildlife Society and the Society of American Foresters. He has worked on projects investigating the occupancy of mammalian species in a state forest in Pennsylvania, the population structure of white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania, the population structure and admixture of African savanna elephants and Masai giraffe in Tanzania, developing a database of species of greatest conservation need for New Jersey and worked as an assistant ranch biologist in southwest Texas. His research interests are in population and quantitative ecology that can better inform management and conservation decisions. He is an avid outdoorsman and spends his free time hunting, camping, and adding species to his bird and herp life list.
David Pearce
M.S. Student
CV
MacKenzie (Lulu) is an MS student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. Her research focuses on the spatial interactions of free-ranging native and exotic ungulates. She has also worked with many exotic bird species as well as migratory waterfowl and swallows. Lulu received her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University, where she also began her current involvement with the Texas A&M Fly Club as the Research and Conservation Outreach Chair. In her free time, Lulu enjoys spending time in the water, fishing, hiking and birding, and learning about Falconry.
Lulu Hoffman
M.S. Student
CV
Amanda is an M.S. student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. Her research will be at the Ecology and Natural Resource Teaching Area (ENTRA) working on setting up a small mammal sampling protocol to see how the intensity of rangeland management affects their populations. She completed her bachelor's degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Science at Tennessee Technological University and was involved with the student chapter of the Wildlife Society. In her free time, she enjoys training with the Texas A&M Triathlon Club, finding new hiking trails, and taking her pet snake on walks.
Amanda Laboy
M.S. Student
CV
Kayla is an MNRD student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Science from Baylor University. Previously, she has worked with a range of exotic ungulates to promote conservation through research developments in embryology, while also bottle raising many fawns/kids/calves along the way. In her free time, she enjoys hunting, hiking, eating Chick-fil-A, and playing with her dog, Winnie.
Kayla Art
M.N.R.D. Student
CV
Cade is an MNRD student in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management. Cade received his Bachelor’s of Science in Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management on the wildlife management track from Texas A&M University. His previous experience includes managing white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, and scaled quail on a hunting ranch in South Texas. He is also a member of The Wildlife Society. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, watching sports, and gaining knowledge on how to better manage wildlife.
Cade Weiss
M.N.R.D. Student
CV
Else is an international student athlete from the Netherlands. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Louisville, where she fostered a strong passion for ecological research. She previously worked in an entomology lab in Louisville, where she investigated invertebrate communities in both invasive and native leaf litter. Now she is hoping to expand her research towards mammal conservation and biodiversity. Currently, she is developing an exciting project with the Urban Wildlife Information Network, aimed at capturing biodiversity in College Station and its surrounding areas using camera traps. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is an accomplished Olympic diver who represented the Netherlands at the Paris 2024 Olympics, making it to the finals. In her free time, Else loves exploring the outdoors, camping, or just having a drink with friends!
Else Praasterink
M.S. Student
CV
Lab Alumni
Drake was in our lab as a senior Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences major from Grapevine, Texas. He conducted research on the reproductive parameters of wild pigs in south-central Oklahoma. In addition to his wild pig study, Drake assisted with the river otter project ongoing in the lab. Prior to this, he worked with quail in the Rolling Plains region. At Texas A&M, Drake is a member of the American Fisheries Society and the Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society. After graduation, he hopes to get back out to West Texas and work as a wildlife technician.
Drake Dancila
B.S. Student
CV
A rising senior and biology major from Macalester College, Daniel worked in the Werdel Lab through the REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program. His summer research project focused on habitat use of Fox Squirrels on the urban College Station campus and the Ecology and Natural Resources Teaching Area (Range Area). He previously worked at Macalester’s Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area investigating invasive plant ecology. Daniel is interested in avian and mammalian conservation and plans to continue field research after graduation. In his free time, he enjoys observing and recording birds.
Daniel Whitman
B.S. Student
CV