Outstanding graduates

Graduating senior: Ally Moser

Hometown: Ashburn, Virginia

Major: Wildlife conservation

Main accomplishment: Becoming involved with The Wildlife Society early in my undergraduate career framed many of my opportunities and interests. The student chapter was a great space to meet other students, to be mentored by faculty and professionals, and to gain experience in peer leadership. My involvement also allowed me to travel to many professional conferences where I learned more about my career goals and research interests. I recommend that every incoming student join a professional society.

Master’s student: Kayla Davis

Hometown: Ellerbe, North Carolina

Major: Wildlife conservation

Research focus: My master’s thesis focused on parent-offspring interactions of the federally endangered roseate tern and young tern survival at Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts. My research allowed me to work directly with land managers who will use my thesis results to make research-guided conservation decisions. I am continuing this type of conservation-minded research as a doctoral student at Oregon State University studying the marbled murrelet, a small seabird that nests in old-growth forests.

Graduate student: Anne Hilborn

Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Major: Wildlife conservation

Research focus: I am investigating some of the ways large carnivores affect the foraging behavior of smaller ones. Using 35 years of data on hunting behavior, I look at how cheetahs in Tanzania respond to threats from lions and spotted hyenas, and how they modify their behavior to minimize risks from larger predators. My research will increase our knowledge of how behavioral flexibility allows multiple carnivore species to coexist and how the way large carnivores impact the behavior of smaller ones goes on to affect prey populations.