Halina Malinowski (PhD student). Halina Malinowski is a Ph.D. candidate at Duke University, focusing on wildlife conservation and applied ecology. She collaborates with various organizations, including Game Rangers International in Zambia, where she works on projects involving the conservation and rehabilitation of orphaned elephants. Her research often involves innovative techniques, such as using drones and camera traps, to monitor elephant behavior and movement. Malinowski’s work bridges the gap between conservation technology and fieldwork, contributing valuable insights to wildlife management practices.
Emily Siegel (MEM student). Emily Siegel is a second-year Master’s student at Duke University, where she focuses on studying elephant behavior, particularly their responses to drone technology. Her research is part of a larger project analyzing the rehabilitation and release of orphaned elephants in Zambia. Emily is working with drone technology to evaluate how elephants interact with these devices, aiming to minimize disturbance to the animals during data collection. Her work is supported by the KLN Endowment Fund and is part of a collaboration between Duke’s Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab and the Zambian nonprofit Game Rangers International.
Ellen Nirenblatt (MEM student). Ellen Nirenblatt is a second-year Master’s student at Duke University, where she is studying wildlife species-habitat relationships in unique ecosystems in the forests of Peru. She has also worked on the Duke Forest Camera Trap project. Ellen Nirenblatt is active in the Duke Conservation Society, a student organization that promotes environmental advocacy and conservation initiatives.
Yujin Kim (Undergraduate). Yujin Kim is an undergraduate student at Duke University, originally from Busan, South Korea. She has a journal article (in review) from a qualitative research she conducted with Dr. Cagle for the Unearthing Duke Forest project. She is currently working with Cagle to explore species-habitat relationships among key mammal species in the Duke Forest. She is part of the Karsh International Scholars Program, which supports her academic pursuits and civic engagement at Duke. Yujin has been involved in climate activism, including work with the Duke Climate Coalition, and has represented South Korea in environmental discussions at the United Nations. She also explores topics related to climate justice and mental health, particularly focusing on the intersection of environmental issues and personal well-being.
Affiliated Students & Staff.
Madison Chudzik. Madison Chudzik is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and Biology PhD student at Duke University, studying migration through nocturnal flight calls and bird-building collisions. She uses autonomous recording units and machine learning to monitor bird communities in Chicago and on Duke’s campus. In addition, Madison works with Dr. Cagle to run the bird collision monitoring on Duke’s campus.
Caroline Rowley. Caroline Rowley is a Ph.D. student in the Environment Program at Duke University, and holds a MSc degree in Primate Behavior from Central Washington University. Rowley completed a second Master’s degree in Environmental Management under Dr. Cagle, using passive acoustic monitoring to investigate occupancy and call abundance of the Putty-nosed Monkey in Ivindo National Park, Gabon. Rowley also served as the project coordinator for the Bioacoustics sub-project of the Duke Forest Wildlife Project, and continues to work with Dr. Cagle to create acoustic models that automatically recognized Anuran calls in the Piedmont. 
Libby White. As a Master’s student in the Cagle Lab, Libby used camera trap distance sampling in both tropical and temperate forest contests. Her thesis research assess terrestrial species-habitat relationships in Ivindo National Park, Gabon. She also served as the camera-trap sub-project lead for the Duke Forest Wildlife Project. Libby is currently Research Technician II at Duke University, working in the Johnston Lab within the Nicholas School of the Environment.
Past Graduate Students & Work.
Fontanie, Shirley, Rathmell, Dori, and Tori Velasquez.. (2024). Developing K-12 Education Resources for New York City’s One Water Initiative. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
White, Libby. (2024). Estimating Terrestrial Wildlife Density Along a Defaunation Gradient at Ivindo National Park, Gabon Using Camera Trap Distance Sampling Methodologies, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Rowley, Caroline. (2024). Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Commonly Subsistence Hunted Arboreal Primate Species in Ivindo National Park, Gabon. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Kolarova, Andrea. (2023). Quantifying Emerald Ash Borer Induced Ash Mortality and Assessing Management Strategies for Ash Regeneration in the Duke Forest. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Carvalho, Juliana & Chase Benjamin. (2023). Public- Facing Environmental Management and Amelioration of Urban Wetland Habitat at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Kuczek, Aurora & White, Annabelle. (2023). Endangered Salamander Mapping for the Save Our Springs Alliance. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Fajardo, Marisa. (2023). Spotted Salamanders and Biotic and Environmental Relationships in the Piedmont. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Martens, Christine. (2023). Examining Recreational Use of the Duke Forest. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Sarveswaran, Sunitha. (2023). Climate Justice and De-Carbonization in New York City. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Smith, Cullen. (2022, co-advised with Joe Bachman). An Examination of the Relationship between the Conservation Reserve Program and Stumpage Prices in the South. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Hayashi, Shouta and Horrigan, Eamon. (2022). Quantifying Ecosystem Services in the Duke Forest. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Toker, Rachel. (2022, co-advised with Joe Bachman). Scaling Up Availability and Programing of Urban Nature Space as National Health Response. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Zeng, Yingfan. (2022.) Understanding Ecosystem Function in an Eastern Carolina Watershed. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Dobes, Emily. (2022, co-advised with Stuart Pimm). Predicting Red Wolf Habitat Suitability with Climate Change. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Cherry, Jennifer. (2022). Marine Debris Impacts to Sea Turtle Species in Volusia County, Florida. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Somerville, Sam. (2022). Assessment of Trait-based Vulnerability of Bats from Climate Change in the United States. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Costes, Lydie. (2022). Reintroduction of Baptisia aberrans at Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Stefan Bugge, Connor Dupree-Sood, and Thaddeus Thomson. (2021). Optimizing Ecological Services in Durham with Strategic Infrastructure Development. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Perkins, Troi.(2021). Understanding Effort and Outcomes of Bioblitzes in Southeastern Forests. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Kendra Sultzer. (2021). Furthering the Development of Duke Forest’s Wildlife Management and Connectivity Plan. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Paul Noah. (2021). Range Distribution and Planting Prioritization for American Chestnut. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Kelly Joyner and Hannah Royal. (2020). Management for an Imperiled Reptile on a Coastal Barrier Island, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus). Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Natalie Rodriguez. (2020). Description and Evaluation of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Education Program. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Grace Hancock, Mingfei Xiong, and Alex Vanko. (2020). Planning a Sustainable Tree Canopy for Durham, North Carolina. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Madison Cole. (2020). Mammal Diversity of the Duke Forest. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Tyler Sammis. (2020). Playspace Greening in Low-income Communities: Observations from U.S. Urban Parks and Playfield Renovations. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Matthew Brantley, Sunny Qiao, and Charles Mize. (Dec 2019). Risk of Development GIS Modeling to Identify Parcels for Conservation in North Carolina, USA. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Emma Fulop & Bhargavi Karumuri. (2019). Network and Landscape Analyses of Diversity Organizations in Durham, NC. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Julia Geschke. (2019). Modeling Salamander Habitat in the Duke Forest. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Laura Bader, Daniel Hickey, Michelle Kaiser, & Sarah Sanford. (2018). Urban Forest Planning for the Forest History
Society. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Caitlyn Cooper. (2018). Lemur Species-Habitat Relationships at Multiple Scales in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Shane O’Neal. (2018). A Comprehensive Assessment of Red Wolf Reintroduction Sites. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Sarah Hagan. (2017). Effects of Stand Attributes in Evaluating Even-aged Loblolly Pine Volume with LiDAR. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Erika Reiter. (2017). The Whale Community of Husavik: Examining Perceptions & Experiences Surrounding Whale Ecotourism & Conservation. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Renee Kramer, Hannah Palmer-Dwore, & Peter Satin. (2017). Developing an Alternative Approach to Wildlife Management in the Duke Forest. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Conor Makepeace. (2017). Assessment of Avifauna in North Carolina Piedmont Prairies. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Diego Calderon-Arrieta. (2017). Evaluating Current Attitudes towards Snakes in the Nicholas School of the Environment’s (NSOE) Environmental Master’s Student Community. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Michael Asch, Gregory Cooper & Anne Liberti. (2016). Replanting Durham’s Urban Forest (Client: City of Durham).
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Patrick Smerczynski & Hunterr Payeur. (2016). Identifying Forest Management Scale Variables to Manage White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Duke Forest, North Carolina (Client: Duke Forest). Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Charlene Wu. (2015). Examining Urban Wildlife Conservation and Green Space Development Opportunities for Triangle Land Conservancy. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Nicholas Gadri. (2015). Kingdon’s Multiple Streams odel and the Inclusion of Energy Title IX in the 2002 Farm Bill. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Lisa Appel. (2015). Stakeholder Analysis for Pollinator Conservation in Oakland County Parks. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Wenjia Zhu & Wenting Ye. (2015). BASF Agricultural Solutions: Sustainability of grounds and landscaping at Durham, NC Facility (Client: BASF). Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Chaquetta Greene. (2013). Duke University and the Nicholas School of the Environment: Encouraging Today’s Youth through Environmental Education. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.