Nibbelink Spatial Analysis Lab
WARNELL SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Current Lab Members
Dr. Nate Nibbelink
Associate Dean for Research
Professor, Spatial Ecology/GIS
In addition to teaching several courses that focus on using spatial data to better inform conservation and ecology decisions, Nate mentors a number of graduate students, serves on many graduate committees, and provides guidance for undergraduate students. He has published numerous papers and in 2015 was awarded the Herrick Superior Teaching Award for superior faculty performance in the classroom. He also is the former director for the Center for Integrative Conservation Research at UGA.
Cody Cox
Research Coordinator; PhD (2022)
Cody assists with a variety of research projects as the lab research coordinator, with an emphasis on understanding patterns of animal habitat use and movement, particularly birds. Cody also did his PhD in the Nibbelink Spatial Ecology Lab, where he researched how a suite of forest-dependent bird species in Monteverde, Costa Rica respond to landscape gradients and mapped local conservation priorities to forecast the effects of locally-supported conservation scenarios on bird species. ​Cody is also the research coordinator for Dr. Clark Rushing's Avian Ecology Lab at UGA.
Alec Nelson
Post-doctoral Researcher; PhD (2023)
​Alec's current research includes designing decision-support tools and approaches for promoting watershed resilience and function in the face of land use change, development, and climate change. Through partnerships on the Savannah and Missouri Rivers, he integrates ecological, spatial, and social sciences to plan for unexpected challenges and opportunities to protect critical natural features such as riparian forests and habitat buffers.
Wezddy Del Toro Orozco
Phd Student
​Wezddy studies mammalian ecology and conservation, particularly focusing on spatial patterns in populations and human-feline conflict. Since 2013, Wezddy has been a member of the Ecology and Conservation of Felines in the Amazon Research Group (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá) in Brazil. For her doctoral research, Wezddy will be working to integrate data that she has collected about human-feline interactions in the Brazilian Amazon and jaguar movement to develop strategies to reduce human-jaguar conflict.
Lauren Gingerella
Phd Student
Lauren is interested in the conversion and restoration of defunct golf courses to wildlife habitat. She is researching the scope of the problem, regionally prioritizing sites for restoration, and studying the wildlife response to restoration activities at Jekyll Island.
Kristie Gill
Phd Student
Kristie is currently researching how the varied wildlife management strategies of South African landowner’s influence biodiversity and spatial connectivity of the landscape as well as how management strategy affects rural community dynamics with regard to protein availability. Kristie has partnered with the Waterberg Biosphere, an NGO in the Waterberg Mountain region of South Africa to conduct this study.
Alexa Ouellette
MS Student
Alexa is interested in the impacts of climate change, sea-level rise, and storm surge on wildlife populations in coastal ecosystems. Her research is focused on applying natural infrastructure systems to real-world projects along the Georgia and South Carolina coast.
Noah Isherwood
MNR Student
Noah is pursuing a an MNR degree to learn more about natural resource management and conservation.
Former Lab Members
Ben Thesing
MS (2023)
Ben used an agent-based model to describe juvenile Gopher Frog movement patterns to inform reintroduction strategies.
Lauren Carroll Everett
MS (2023)
Lauren analyzed nekton community changes in Georgia's estuaries.
Rhianna Hohbein
PhD (2021); Post-doctoral Researcher (2021)
Current: Science Officer, California Council on Science and Technology
Rhianna studied ecological and institutional landscapes of Andean Bear conservation in Colombia.
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Annie Paulukonis
MS (2020)
Current: PhD candidate, North Carolina State University and ORISE Research Fellow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Annie developed a prioritization of threatened species to habitat change in coastal Georgia.
Jenna Haag
MS (2020)
Current: Biological Science Technician, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Jenna assessed the supply and demand for trout in north Georgia under current and projected thermal regimes.
Dave Kramer
PhD student
Current: Biologist, New York Department of Environmental Conservation
Dave examined how forest management affects white-tailed deer browsing impact in northern Pennsylvania.
James Rhynold
MS (2019)
Current: Dad's Tree Care Inc.
James identified participant use preferences at Rock Creek Dispersed Recreation Area, Georgia.
Rachel Guy
PhD (2018)
Current: Research Coordinator, Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
Rachel examined spatial patterns in vulnerability of estuarine fisheries to climate change in Georgia.
Abby Sterling
Research Coordinator
Current: Shorebird Biologist, Manomet
Abby coordinated research in the Nibbelink Lab and shorebird research for Dr. Bob Cooper.
Tom Prebyl
Research Professional
Current: Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.
Tom provided spatial analysis for a multitude of research projects in the Nibbelink Lab.
Joanna Hatt
Research Coordinator
Current: Native Fish Biologist, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish
Joanna coordinated research in the Nibbelink Lab and Black-throated Blue Warbler research for Dr. Bob Cooper.