Megan Spina, M.S. Candidate

Megan grew up in the central New Jersey town of Manalapan.  She went on to earn her B.S. In Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources with a minor in Evolutionary Anthropology and a certificate in Environmental Geomatics from Rutgers University in 2022.  During this time, she assisted in various research projects on topics including coastal restoration, ecological disturbances, and white-tailed deer-farmer interactions.   Her senior thesis was on exploring the role of unreported catch in the management of New England fisheries.  After graduating, Megan worked at Devils Postpile National Monument in California, Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, and Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR, gaining experience in executing outreach activities, conducting habitat assessments, researching population trends, and releasing and monitoring endangered species.  At TAMUK, Megan seeks to explore what resources White-winged Doves are selecting for within their breeding home ranges and how nest site selection across an urban-rural gradient influences their nesting success.