Post-Doctoral Associates

Robert Paine, Ph.D.

Advisor: Mark Rogers (Cooperative Fishery Research Unit).
Research Focus: My research interests focus on using molecular techniques for aquatic conservation, specifically environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance. I analyze the small pieces of DNA left-behind in water to acquire information about the presence or absence and distribution of different species of fish, such as the endangered pygmy madtom (Notorus stanauli) or the invasive silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). I also use eDNA to help characterize the community composition of fishes in different rivers in Tennessee and determine drivers that structure fish communities.

• • B.S., Marine Biology, University of West Florida
  • Ph.D., Environmental Sciences, Tennessee Tech University

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Allison Keever, Ph.D.

Advisor: Brad Cohen
Research Focus: We are collaborating with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) to develop tools to improve monitoring white-tailed deer populations across Tennessee. We will develop an integrated population model (IPM) that capitalizes on existing harvest data that are commonly collected in exploited populations to estimate annual abundance of deer. Further, we will evaluate tradeoffs between the amount and type of monitoring data included and the precisions of estimates from the IPM using structured decision making (SDM). This will provide guidance on sampling effort to meet the objectives for monitoring deer in Tennessee.

• • B.S., University of Illinois
  • M.S., Auburn University
  • Ph.D., University of Montana