Sam Kiuna (PhD student, ISU)

I grew up in a small village in central Kenya. At the time, wildlife featured commonly in the forests near home, but as agriculture expanded and the forests were cleared, many of these animals disappeared. Watching this transformation inspired me to explore ways humans and wildlife can coexist.

I earned both my BSc and MSc degrees from Karatina University, where I developed intellectual foundations in wildlife ecology and conservation. For my PhD, I am studying predator-prey interactions at the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia, Kenya, focusing on the globally endangered African wild dog and Guenther's dik-dik, a small antelope that makes up the bulk of wild dog diets in northern Kenya. My research, conducted in collaboration with the Kenya Rangelands Wild Dog and Cheetah Project in Laikipia, aims to understand how these predator-prey interactions shape broader community composition and population dynamics.

Outside of research, I enjoy playing volleyball and soccer, hiking, and long-distance running.