After a year-long stint at the Ipassa Research Center in Gabon, Brandon Hays (left) wore many hats: big-headed ant project manager, UHURU small-mammal trapper, Fulbright scholar, and professional handler of Drs. Goheen, Riginos, Palmer, and Pietrek. He officially joined our group in Spring 2018, and wrote a bang-up thesis on the demography of mutualism breakdown in Laikipia.

Brandon cut his teeth on Morris and Doak's demographic modeling book, and quickly gained some madd skillz in said techniques. In addition, we will never forget the near-collison between land rovers KAW (Rutherford), driven by Brandon at a top speed of 2km/hr, and KBG (Dookie), push-started at a top speed of 3km/hr.

Current position: PhD Student, Duke University

Brendan "AKA Husky, AKA Boatesy" Oates recently completed a top-notch thesis, co-advised by Matt Kauffman and Jake, disentangling predation from bottom-up factors (drought and fire) in driving anti-predator behavior and vital rates of Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi).

Brendan will be remembered fondly for his rigourous approach to wildlife ecology, passion for fieldwork, killer garlic bread, and formidable beard. He and Jake share an inordinate, borderline creepy fondness for Pearl Jam, and Rogue One.

Current position: Biologist, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Co-advised by Matt Kauffman and Jake, Brett "AKA Beej" Jesmer defended his dissertation in Fall 2018. Recently, he commenced postdoctoral studies at the Max Planck-Yale Center for Biodiversity, Movement, and Global Change, then started a job at Virginia Tech in 2021. Brett's dissertation focused on resource limitation, population dynamics, migration, and darned near everything else about moose throughout the Intermountain West.

From dust-ups with the authories on Lake Naivasha to emergency sprints into the Hoback Basin bush, Brett will forever occupy a unique space not only in our heads, but in our hearts as well.

Current position: Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech University

Bridget Conneely earned her MSc with Jake through the University of British Columbia in 2011. Through the Gorongosa Restoration Project, Bridget worked to understand the influence of fire on resource selection by buffalo and wildebeest recently reintroduced to Gorongosa National Park.

Current position: Director, Educational Media, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

In 2020, Britt "AKA BTB" Brito completed a bang-up thesis on occupancy and diet specialization of the Wyoming pocket gopher, one of North America's most restricted and rarest rodents.

Britt is a superfan of the Green Bay Packers, and other mammals great and small. Enduring Jake for three courses during her undergraduate bestowed Britt with the patience and tenacity necessary to endure the Tatooine-esque landscapes of Wyoming's Red Desert.

Current position: Biologist, Wyoming Game and Fish Department