Pennsylvania Education Activities
Admission Requirements and Procedures - Prospective students are encouraged to contact Unit personnel directly regarding graduate research opportunities. Unit staff are graduate faculty members in the School of Forest Resources and the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology. Consult the Graduate Degree Programs section of the School of Forest Resources website or the IGDP Ecology website (see links to the right) for complete details about each program and application procedures.
Financial Support - Graduate students associated with the Unit are typically supported by external funds in the form of grants or research contracts. Fully supported graduate students receive a monthly stipend, tuition waiver, and health insurance.
| Title | Instructor(s) | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildlife Management | Diefenbach | August 2012 | December 2012 |
| Structured Decision Making and Adaptive Management of Natural Resources | Diefenbach, Wagner | August 2012 | December 2012 |
| Quantitative Methods in Ecology | Wagner | January 2017 | May 2017 |
| Quantitative Methods in Ecology | Wagner | January 2014 | May 2014 |
| Quantitative Methods in Ecology | Wagner | January 2012 | May 2012 |
| Quantitative Methods in Ecology | Wagner | January 2011 | May 2011 |
| Quantitative Methods in Ecology | Wagner | January 2010 | May 2010 |
| Quantitative Methods in Ecology | Wagner | January 2009 | May 2009 |
| Professional Communications | Carline | January 2005 | May 2005 |
| Population estimation and modeling | Diefenbach | January 2016 | May 2016 |
| Population estimation and modeling | Diefenbach | January 2015 | May 2015 |
| Population Estimation and Modeling | Diefenbach | January 2020 | May 2020 |
| Population Estimation and Modeling | Diefenbach | January 2019 | May 2019 |
| Population Estimation and Modeling | Diefenbach | January 2018 | May 2018 |
| Population Estimation and Modeling | Diefenbach | August 2011 | December 2011 |
| Joint Species Distribution Models | Wagner | January 2021 | May 2021 |
| Hierarchical models in ecology | Wagner | January 2015 | May 2015 |
| Fishery Management | Carline | August 2000 | December 2000 |
| Fish Population Dynamics | Carline | January 2006 | May 2006 |
| Fish Population Dynamics | Carline | January 2004 | May 2004 |
| Fish Population Dynamics | Carline | January 2002 | May 2002 |
| Estimation of Fish and Wildlife Population Parameters | Diefenbach | September 2005 | December 2005 |
| Estimation of Fish and Wildlife Population Parameters | Diefenbach | September 2002 | December 2002 |
| Estimation of Fish and Wildlife Population Parameters | Diefenbach | August 2007 | December 2007 |
| Estimation of Fish and Wildlife Population Parameters | Diefenbach | August 2005 | December 2005 |
| Estimation of Fish and Wildlife Population Parameters | Diefenbach | August 2001 | December 2001 |
| Estimation of Fish and Wildlife Population Parameters | Diefenbach | August 2000 | December 2000 |
| Ecosystem Monitoring | Diefenbach | August 2020 | December 2020 |
| Communications in Natural Resources | Carline | January 2003 | May 2003 |
| Classic Ecology | Diefenbach | August 2008 | December 2008 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology | Walter | January 2019 | April 2019 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology | Walter | January 2017 | April 2017 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology | Walter | January 2016 | April 2016 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology | Walter | January 2015 | May 2015 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology | Walter | January 2014 | April 2014 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology | Walter | January 2013 | April 2013 |
| Analysis of Animal Location Data | Diefenbach | September 2006 | December 2006 |
| Analysis of Animal Location Data | Diefenbach | January 2004 | May 2004 |
| Analysis of Animal Location Data | Diefenbach | August 2008 | December 2008 |
| Advances in Ecology | Diefenbach | September 2016 | September 2016 |
| Advances in Ecology | Diefenbach | September 2013 | October 2013 |
| Advances in Ecology | Diefenbach | October 2014 | October 2014 |
| Advances in Ecology | Diefenbach | August 2012 | December 2012 |
| Training Provided | Instructor(s) | Completion Date |
|---|---|---|
| This was an invited workshop on Bayesian hierarchical modeling. The course was attended by faculty, students, postdocs, and state biologists. The workshop was held at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. | Wagner | May 2016 |
| This was an invited workshop on Bayesian hierarchical modeling. The course was attended by faculty, students, postdocs, and state biologists. The workshop was held at the University of Missouri. | Wagner | June 2015 |
| This was an invited workshop on Bayesian hierarchical modeling. The course was attended by faculty, students, postdocs, and state biologists. The workshop was held at The Ohio State University. | Wagner | April 2015 |
| Modeling survival using radio telemetry and nest monitoring data | Diefenbach | April 2009 |
| Introduction to occupancy modeling | Diefenbach | March 2014 |
| Introduction to R and hierarchical models was given to biologists at the PA Department of Environmental Protection. | Wagner | September 2016 |
| I was one of several instructors who gave talks on various aspects of environmental sampling for the PA Department of Environmental Protection pollution biologists. | Carline | November 2001 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology in R - Methods for managing and analyzing ecological datasets are constantly evolving. Advances in technology have resulted in large spatial datasets for aquatic and terrestrial populations that requires data compilation and analysis for making sound resource management and conservation decisions. From GIS dataset manipulation to traditional estimators of home range, this course will provide hands-on learning to handle a variety of datasets all within the software R (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). | Walter | September 2018 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology in R - Methods for managing and analyzing ecological datasets are constantly evolving. Advances in technology have resulted in large spatial datasets for aquatic and terrestrial populations that requires data compilation and analysis for making sound resource management and conservation decisions. From GIS dataset manipulation to traditional estimators of home range, this course will provide hands-on learning to handle a variety of datasets all within the software R (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). | Walter | September 2017 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology in R - Methods for managing and analyzing ecological datasets are constantly evolving. Advances in technology have resulted in large spatial datasets for aquatic and terrestrial populations that requires data compilation and analysis for making sound resource management and conservation decisions. From GIS dataset manipulation to traditional estimators of home range, this course will provide hands-on learning to handle a variety of datasets all within the software R (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). | Walter | September 2015 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology in R - Methods for managing and analyzing ecological datasets are constantly evolving. Advances in technology have resulted in large spatial datasets for aquatic and terrestrial populations that requires data compilation and analysis for making sound resource management and conservation decisions. From GIS dataset manipulation to traditional estimators of home range, this course will provide hands-on learning to handle a variety of datasets all within the software R (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). | Walter | March 2020 |
| Applied Spatial Ecology in R - Methods for managing and analyzing ecological datasets are constantly evolving. Advances in technology have resulted in large spatial datasets for aquatic and terrestrial populations that requires data compilation and analysis for making sound resource management and conservation decisions. From GIS dataset manipulation to traditional estimators of home range, this course will provide hands-on learning to handle a variety of datasets all within the software R (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). | Walter | September 2013 |
| An overview of modeling left-censored contaminant data using hierarchical Bayesian models. | Wagner | September 2015 |
| An introduction to the use of distance sampling to estimate the abundance of grassland songbirds. | Diefenbach | April 2004 |
| An Introduction to R | Wagner | August 2008 |
| An Introduction to Multilevel Models and their Applications in Forest, Fish, and Wildlife Management: Multilevel data structures are a common feature in forestry and fish and wildlife research. These data structures most often results in a lack of independence among observations (i.e., pseudoreplication). Ignoring multilevel data structures during analysis has implications for inference and decision making, leading to overly optimistic uncertainty estimates (e.g., underestimated standard errors of estimated parameters). Multilevel models not only account for nested data structures, but also provide a powerful approach for modeling the effects of predictors at multiple spatial scales and for partitioning variability into multiple spatial and temporal components. This course will provide an overview of multilevel models, including the concept and interpretation of random effects and variance components (day 1), and hands-on experience fitting models using the freely available programming environment R (day 2). | Wagner, Hill | September 2012 |
| An Introduction to Bayesian Estimation and Inference Using JAGS This workshop provided an introduction to Bayesian estimation and inference using the program environment R and JAGS. | Wagner | June 2013 |
| Title and Location | Speaker | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed deer dispersal: implications for population and disease management Presented to: University of Georgia |
Diefenbach | August 2016 |
|
We're 90% certain you will want to be a Bayesian after this seminar Presented to: Pennsylvania State University |
Diefenbach, Wagner, Walter | February 2012 |
|
Truths and Myths about Chronic Wasting Disease Presented to: USDA/APHIS/WS |
Walter | October 2017 |
|
Truths and Myths about Chronic Wasting Disease Presented to: Pennsylvania Forest Webinar Series |
Walter | June 2018 |
|
Truths and Myths about Chronic Wasting Disease Presented to: Indiana Chapter of the Wildlife Society |
Walter | October 2017 |
|
The Impossible Dream: Managing White-tailed Deer to Meet Forest Management Objectives Presented to: University of Maine |
Diefenbach | April 2019 |
|
Temporal, spatial, and demographic patterns of white-tailed deer mortality: implications for their ecology and management. Presented to: University of Delaware |
Diefenbach | February 2010 |
|
Spatial, Temporal, and Demographic variation in male turkey harvest rates in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Presented to: Pennsylvania State University |
Diefenbach | February 2010 |
|
Putting together pieces of the puzzle: contaminants, pathogens, and smallmouth bass population dynamics in the Susquehanna River Basin Presented to: The Pennsylvania State University |
Wagner | October 2019 |
|
Predator-Prey Dynamics of Hunters and White-tailed Deer: Implications for Deer Population Management Presented to: Pennsylvania State University |
Diefenbach | October 2004 |
|
Online Database Infrastructures in Animal Ecology: A Novel way of Data Management and Sharing of Animal derived Sensor Data Presented to: National Wildlife Research Center |
Walter | June 2013 |
|
Linking lakes and landscapes: applying principles of landscape limnology to the management of inland lakes Presented to: Pennsylvania State University |
Wagner | December 2009 |
|
Hierarchical Models Presented to: Michigan State University |
Wagner | June 2011 |
|
Genetics of cervids and susceptibility to chronic wasting disease Presented to: Newcastle University |
Walter | July 2016 |
|
Genetics of Cervids as it relates to susceptibility to Chronic Wasting Disease Presented to: Eastern Tennessee State University |
Walter | October 2019 |
|
Fish Habitat and Climate Change: Implications for the Desert Southwest, Midwestern Smallmouth Bass, and Eastern Brook Trout Presented to: NCCWSC Climate Change Science and Management Webinar Series |
Wagner, Deweber | April 2013 |
|
Effects of highway construction on sediment loading in Spring Creek Presented to: Penn State University |
Carline | November 2001 |
|
Chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer in the east: Coping With Disease (CWD) Presented to: State University of New York - Environmental Science and Forestry |
Walter | July 2015 |
|
CWD genetics in the wild and model results outline potential for spread within Pennsylvania Presented to: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture |
Walter | June 2017 |
|
Buruli ulcer disease: insights into a 110 year mystery using landscape-based models Presented to: Pennsylvania State University |
Wagner | May 2008 |
|
Brook Trout ecology and management: land use, climate and transboundary population monitoring Presented to: University of Georgia |
Wagner | November 2013 |
|
Assessing response of trout to habitat manipulation Presented to: Lycoming College |
Carline | December 2001 |
|
A conceptual framework for understanding multiscaled interactions between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems Presented to: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science |
Wagner | April 2013 |
| Title | Presenter | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlife Disease | Walter | October 2013 |
| Wildlife Disease | Walter | October 2012 |
| Understanding dependency in Ecological data | Walter | September 2014 |
| Understanding dependency in Ecological data | Walter | November 2015 |
| Trout Population Dynamics | Carline | March 2003 |
| Stream habitat management | Carline | March 2004 |
| Stream ecology | Carline | October 2005 |
| Stream ecology | Carline | November 2005 |
| Spatial epidemiology of unique diseases: prions, parasites, and bacteria | Walter | November 2014 |
| Spatial Epidemiology of Unique Diseases: Prions, parasites,and bacteria | Walter | April 2012 |
| Sampling fish and wildlife populations | Diefenbach | October 2001 |
| Sampling aquatic environments | Carline | November 2002 |
| Salmonid spawning habitat | Carline | November 2000 |
| Risk Assessment and Disease Management | Walter | September 2018 |
| Risk Assessment and Disease Management | Walter | September 2017 |
| Risk Assessment and Disease Management | Walter | September 2016 |
| Risk Assessment and Disease Management | Walter | December 2015 |
| Risk Assessment and Disease Management | Walter | December 2014 |
| Riparian restoration | Carline | April 2005 |
| Riparian management in the Spruce Creek watershed | Carline | March 2004 |
| Reintroductions of wildlife | Diefenbach | November 2014 |
| Population restoration | Diefenbach | March 2018 |
| Management of Game Birds | Diefenbach | April 2010 |
| Management of Game Birds | Diefenbach | April 2009 |
| Management of Game Birds | Diefenbach | April 2008 |
| Mammalian dispersal | Diefenbach | March 2015 |
| Mammalian dispersal | Diefenbach | April 2018 |
| Lake ecology | Carline | April 2006 |
| Impacts of climate change on eastern U.S. fisheries | Wagner | November 2015 |
| History of deer management in Pennsylvania. | Diefenbach | March 2005 |
| Fundamentals of Riparian Management | Carline | April 2005 |
| Field ecology of Big Spring Creek | Carline | January 2002 |
| Elements of Electrofishing | Carline | September 2003 |
| Effects of acidic deposition on stream biota | Carline | December 2002 |
| Dispersal in White-tailed Deer | Diefenbach | February 2017 |
| Dietary uptake of PCBs by rainbow trout | Carline | March 2003 |
| Deer Management in Pennsylvania | Diefenbach | March 2006 |
| Advances in Ecology, Statistical Modelling | Wagner | October 2012 |
| Advances in Ecology, Statistical Modelling | Wagner | October 2011 |
| Advances in Ecology, Statistical Modelling | Wagner | October 2010 |
| Advances in Ecology, Statistical Modelling | Wagner | October 2009 |
| Activity patterns of female black bears | Diefenbach | November 2005 |
| Student (Degree) | Advisor | Start Year | End Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson, Andy (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2005 | 2009 |
| Williamson, Neihl (MS) | Wagner | 2008 | 2010 |
| Wikle, Nathan (PhD) | Wagner | 2017 | Present |
| White, Shannon (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2017 | 2019 |
| Wentworth, Kevin (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2002 | 2005 |
| Weiderholt, Ruscena (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2007 | 2011 |
| Weber, Andrew (MS) | Diefenbach | 2010 | 2014 |
| Weather, Thomas (PhD) | Walter | 2016 | 2019 |
| Voorhees, Christine (MS) | Diefenbach | 2000 | 2002 |
| Tolley, Keeley (MS) | Diefenbach | 2000 | 2002 |
| Stokke, Grant (MS) | Diefenbach | 2005 | 2014 |
| Stenger, Logan (MS) | Wagner | 2021 | Present |
| Stark, Sydney (MS) | Wagner | 2021 | Present |
| Stainbrook, David (MS) | Wagner | 2008 | 2011 |
| Smith, Lori (MS) | Walter | 2012 | 2014 |
| Slawson, Deborah (PhD) | Carline | 2000 | 2004 |
| Sklebo, Jared (MS) | Diefenbach | 2014 | 2017 |
| Sidelick, Jennifer (MS) | Carline | 2003 | 2005 |
| Schall, Megan (PhD) | Walter | 2013 | 2017 |
| Rummel, Shawn (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2007 | 2011 |
| Rodemaker, Vitor (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2007 | 2007 |
| Rocco, Gian (PhD) | Carline | 2000 | Present |
| Regmi, Arun (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2020 | Present |
| Reed, Brendan (MS) | Wagner | 2012 | 2014 |
| Price, Keith (PhD) | Wagner | 2008 | 2011 |
| Petprakob, Krittika (PhD) | Wagner | 2009 | 2015 |
| Pedersen, Christian (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2004 | 2008 |
| O'Driscoll, Michael (PhD) | Carline | 2001 | 2004 |
| Norton, Andrew (MS) | Wagner | 2008 | 2011 |
| Munoz, David (MS) | Diefenbach | 2014 | 2015 |
| Mollenhauer, Robert (MS) | Diefenbach | 2009 | 2012 |
| Miller, Tricia (MS) | Diefenbach | 2005 | 2007 |
| Means, Jennifer (MS) | Carline | 2003 | Present |
| McNeil, Leonard (MS) | Carline | 2003 | 2005 |
| May, Melissa (MS) | Wagner | 2009 | 2011 |
| Mason, Doris (MS) | Wagner | 2008 | 2009 |
| Long, Eric (PhD) | Carline | 2001 | 2005 |
| Lees, Bryan (MS) | Carline | 2003 | 2005 |
| Kerby, Jeff (PhD) | Wagner | 2010 | 2014 |
| Julian, James (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2005 | 2009 |
| Jones, David (MS) | Carline | 2005 | Present |
| Ikis, Didem (PhD) | Wagner | 2010 | 2017 |
| Hill, Jason (PhD) | Wagner | 2009 | 2012 |
| Grassie, Cairsty (PhD) | Wagner | 2009 | 2013 |
| Govenar, Breea (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2003 | 2005 |
| Goodrich, Laurie (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2003 | 2010 |
| Gingery, Tess (MS) | Walter | 2015 | 2018 |
| Garneau, Danielle (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2002 | 2005 |
| Ganoe, Laken (MS) | Diefenbach | 2018 | 2019 |
| Fronk, Nate (MS) | Walter | 2012 | 2013 |
| Forman, Nicholas (MS) | Diefenbach | 2012 | 2015 |
| Fisher, Douglas (MS) | Carline | 2002 | Present |
| Fergus, Emi (PhD) | Wagner | 2012 | 2016 |
| Espindola, Walter (MS) | Walter | 2020 | Present |
| Deweber, Jefferson (PhD) | Walter | 2012 | 2014 |
| Davis, Courtney (PhD) | Wagner | 2015 | 2019 |
| Davis, Courtney (MS) | Wagner | 2013 | 2015 |
| Crawford, Charles (MS) | Diefenbach | 2012 | 2015 |
| Compton, Justin (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2005 | 2007 |
| Chen, Xin (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2017 | Present |
| Byrne, Loren (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2002 | 2006 |
| Buda, Anthony (PhD) | Carline | 2002 | Present |
| Brandell, Ellen (PhD) | Walter | 2016 | Present |
| Becker, Douglas (MS) | Diefenbach | 2003 | 2005 |
| Barton, Ethan (MS) | Diefenbach | 2011 | 2014 |
| Barry, Patrick (MS) | Diefenbach | 2003 | 2004 |
| Anders, Angela (PhD) | Diefenbach | 2003 | 2007 |
| Amburgey , Staci (PhD) | Wagner | 2015 | 2019 |
| Alexander, Richard (PhD) | Wagner | 2010 | 2014 |