Meet Our Lab
Current Students Previous Students
Our Commitment to Inclusion and Diversity
The Morse Conservation Social Science Lab is committed to promoting a culture of diversity and equity. We are a dedicated group of faculty, graduate, and undergraduate research students with a passion for understanding people and the environment. Environmental conservation and human well-being are connected global issues that impact all people and all places – though not equally. We have an international and holistic perspective. We believe that there are considerable educational and life benefits emanating from diversity and meeting others in their places. We are inclusive. We believe in empowerment and self-determination. We strive to prepare each other for a life and leadership in a multicultural world." - Dr. Wayde Morse
Dr. Wayde Morse, Professor
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Current Students
Emily Nichols
Ph.D. Project - Capturing Minority Voices for Recreational Fisheries Planning
Recreational fisheries planning and management relies on an engaged public with support in the form of fishing license sales and expenditures that fund operations and provide education and outreach services. Understanding and responding to the needs of a diverse audience is an important part of the recreational fishing recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) process. Similar to other states, historic participation in recreational freshwater fishing in Alabama has been low amongst minority population segments. To improve our understanding of participation and non-participation behaviors of minority segments, we are conducting surveys and semi-structured focus group meetings with Hispanic and African American community members across Alabama. By addressing the needs of these minority segments and the tools necessary to remove barriers to participation, we will be better equipped to address recreational fisheries planning.
Recreational fisheries planning and management relies on an engaged public with support in the form of fishing license sales and expenditures that fund operations and provide education and outreach services. Understanding and responding to the needs of a diverse audience is an important part of the recreational fishing recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) process. Similar to other states, historic participation in recreational freshwater fishing in Alabama has been low amongst minority population segments. To improve our understanding of participation and non-participation behaviors of minority segments, we are conducting surveys and semi-structured focus group meetings with Hispanic and African American community members across Alabama. By addressing the needs of these minority segments and the tools necessary to remove barriers to participation, we will be better equipped to address recreational fisheries planning.
Anna Brown
Ph.D. Project - Forest Landowner Production and Conservation Futures in the Gulf Coast Region under Changing Climatic Conditions.
Anna Brown is a twice graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Recreation and Park Administration. Anna is completing a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Earth System Science, and with Dr. Morse, she is researching climate risk assessment and land-use decision-making on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. She was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, but lives in Kentucky and loves to spend time exploring natural areas.
Anna Brown is a twice graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Recreation and Park Administration. Anna is completing a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Earth System Science, and with Dr. Morse, she is researching climate risk assessment and land-use decision-making on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. She was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, but lives in Kentucky and loves to spend time exploring natural areas.
Clay Groetsch
M.S. Project - Developing a National Survey on People and the Environment
Caitlin is from Asheville, North Carolina and recently graduated with her B. S. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, and a minor in Political Science, and has worked with the US Forest Service. She is currently researching linked social and ecological systems with Dr. Morse and is pursuing a Master's in Natural Resources. In her free time she enjoys backpacking, hiking, and generally being outside. |
Conner Ranft
Masters of Natural Resources: Project TBD
Connor graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in May 2019 with a BFA in General Fine Arts. She has since worked on erosion prevention in Prescott National Forest and timber maintenance in Kaibab National Forest through the American Conservation Conservation Experience (ACE) Conservation Corps. Currently, she works as a logistics manager on events for sustainability professionals. She is pursuing a Master’s degree related to natural resource conservation planning, particularly where it intersects with social and economic activity.
Connor graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in May 2019 with a BFA in General Fine Arts. She has since worked on erosion prevention in Prescott National Forest and timber maintenance in Kaibab National Forest through the American Conservation Conservation Experience (ACE) Conservation Corps. Currently, she works as a logistics manager on events for sustainability professionals. She is pursuing a Master’s degree related to natural resource conservation planning, particularly where it intersects with social and economic activity.
Previous Students
Taylor Franklin, M.S.
Thesis: Who Gives a Whoop? An Analysis of Conservation Messages on Twitter.
Taylor grew up in Georgia and has a B.S. in animal science from Tuskegee University. Taylor is conducting research on Whooping Crane conservation messaging on social media. Taylor has worked in the American National Wildlife Refuge system (Aransas National Wildlife Refuge) and the National Parks Service (Grand Teton National Park). She is an enthusiastic young scholar with a knack for science and communications. Taylor is finalizing her M.S. in Natural Resources. Taylor is pictured here with her cat. Taylor has worked as a Whooping Crane Outreach Program Assistant for the International Crane Foundation and currently as an Educational Outreach Specialist for the Kiawah Conservancy in South Carolina.
Taylor grew up in Georgia and has a B.S. in animal science from Tuskegee University. Taylor is conducting research on Whooping Crane conservation messaging on social media. Taylor has worked in the American National Wildlife Refuge system (Aransas National Wildlife Refuge) and the National Parks Service (Grand Teton National Park). She is an enthusiastic young scholar with a knack for science and communications. Taylor is finalizing her M.S. in Natural Resources. Taylor is pictured here with her cat. Taylor has worked as a Whooping Crane Outreach Program Assistant for the International Crane Foundation and currently as an Educational Outreach Specialist for the Kiawah Conservancy in South Carolina.
Max Birdsong, M.S.
Thesis: Exploring the Social Habitat of Alabama Public Land Hunters
Max graduated with his Master’s Degree from Auburn studying the human dimensions of Alabama Wildlife Management Area (WMA) hunters. While at Auburn he mainly focused on the motivations and preferences of hunters, and how these concepts relate to the bigger picture of hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation. He is now getting his PhD in Berlin, Germany, at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in the lab of Robert Arlinghaus. Max's work during his PhD is concerned with angler behavior, primarily the drivers of angler satisfaction and site choice behavior, while considering the relevance of social-ecological context and angler specialization.
Max graduated with his Master’s Degree from Auburn studying the human dimensions of Alabama Wildlife Management Area (WMA) hunters. While at Auburn he mainly focused on the motivations and preferences of hunters, and how these concepts relate to the bigger picture of hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation. He is now getting his PhD in Berlin, Germany, at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in the lab of Robert Arlinghaus. Max's work during his PhD is concerned with angler behavior, primarily the drivers of angler satisfaction and site choice behavior, while considering the relevance of social-ecological context and angler specialization.
Mitch Carter, M.S. Research Assistant
After earning his M.S. in Geography at Auburn University in 2015, Mitch served as a research assistant for the implementation of an obesity-prevention program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Part of this research involved utilizing GIS to spatially assess outdoor recreation trends and needs of rural Alabamians. He is currently working for Alabama Extension as an administrator of the CDC program with a focus on improving opportunities for active transportation in rural communities.
Sarah Lessard, M.S.
Thesis: The Human Dimensions of Whooping Crane Conservation in Alabama
Beau Broadbeck, Ph.D
Dissertation: Immigrant Labor in the Forest Industry: The Impacts of H-2B Employment on Local Livelihoods (co-advised with Dr. Connor Bailey)
Michael Heneghan, M.S.
Thesis: Evaluating Public Attitudes Toward Growing Black Bear Populations in Alabama
Lacy Kamber, MNR
Research project: Economic Impact Whooping Crane Festival
Kelsey Waidhas, MNR
Research project: Identification of User Preferences for Future Management and Administrative Decisions at the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center
Jessica Quintanta, M.S.
Thesis: Understanding Angler Preferences and Participation for Management of Alabama Recreational Fisheries
Megan Lupek, Ph.D.
Dissertation: Exploring How Institutional Structure, Capital Assets, and Motivations Influence Landowner Participation in Conservation Incentive Programs: A Mixed Methods Approach
Chris Lupoli, Ph.D.
Dissertation: Volunteer Tourism: A Catalyst for Promoting Community Development and Conservation
Cody Cox, M.S. 2011
Thesis: Spatially Integrating Stakeholder Preferences for Wildlife Conservation and Ecosystem Services with Expert Opinions Using Public Participation Geographic Information Systems.
Cody joined the Morse CSS lab to purse his MS degree in 2011. His research identified publicly supported conservation priorities along the Alabama Gulf Coast by examining overlaps between locations of high public conservation support and areas that provide high quality wildlife habitat and ecosystem services. He is currently completing his PhD at the University of Georgia on the effects of conservation prioritization on forest-dwelling birds in Costa Rica.
Cody joined the Morse CSS lab to purse his MS degree in 2011. His research identified publicly supported conservation priorities along the Alabama Gulf Coast by examining overlaps between locations of high public conservation support and areas that provide high quality wildlife habitat and ecosystem services. He is currently completing his PhD at the University of Georgia on the effects of conservation prioritization on forest-dwelling birds in Costa Rica.
Brent Williams, M.S.
Thesis: Dauphin Island Birders: An Examination of Specialization, Place Attachment,
Satisfaction, and Amenity Migration.
Satisfaction, and Amenity Migration.
Damon Lowery, M.S.
Thesis: Examining Sense of Place and Florida Black Bear Habitat Use in Florida’s Northwestern Panhandle: A Social-Ecological Approach to Landscape Management (Co-advised with Dr. Todd Steury)
Leslie Anne Grill, M.S., 2010
Thesis: Assessing Nature-based Recreation Demand in Population Cores of the Southeastern US: The Outlook for Recreation Development on Private Lands.
Leslie joined the Morse CSS Lab to complete her Master of Science starting in 2008. Before that, she had been living and working in Costa Rica for several years assisting local citizen groups develop their community-based tourism initiatives in the Talamanca region (Caribbean Coast) of the country. Her undergraduate education came from the University of Missouri in Columbia where she earned her B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science with a minor in Biology. She later went on to obtain her doctorate in Education and currently teaches Climate Science to Auburn undergraduates in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.
Leslie joined the Morse CSS Lab to complete her Master of Science starting in 2008. Before that, she had been living and working in Costa Rica for several years assisting local citizen groups develop their community-based tourism initiatives in the Talamanca region (Caribbean Coast) of the country. Her undergraduate education came from the University of Missouri in Columbia where she earned her B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science with a minor in Biology. She later went on to obtain her doctorate in Education and currently teaches Climate Science to Auburn undergraduates in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.
Ana Luiza de Campos Paula, M.S
Thesis: The Willingness of Non-industrial Private Forest Landowners to Supply Wood Biomass for a Prospective Wood-based Bioenergy Industry: A Case from Lee County, Alabama (Co-advised with Dr. Connor Bailey)