Dr. Levi Heffelfinger

Director of the North Texas Research Program and an Assistant Professor at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville

​Dr. Levi Heffelfinger's M.S. degree from University of Nevada, Reno involved evaluating the spatial ecology and modeling demographics of mule deer amid arid environmental constraints on the Mojave National Preserve in southern California. Levi received a Ph.D. with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and also served as the Boone & Crockett Fellow in Ungulate Research. His doctoral research focused on modeling the influence of spatio-temporal fluctuations in forage on mule deer movement and population performance. His work also experimentally evaluated the influence of early life nutrition on ontogeny and reproductive output in white-tailed deer. His current research focuses on spatial and nutritional ecology to connect population metrics to landscape variability. Much of his work involves large mammal conservation issues throughout arid regions including the southwestern United States and the southern Great Plains. Levi enjoys camping, hiking, wildlife photography, fishing, and hunting.

Claire Muia

North Texas Research Program Manager, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Claire recently received her M.S. degree from the University of Kentucky's Department of Forest and Natural Resource Science before joining the team as Research Program Manager. Her thesis work focused on using a camera-based sampling and spatial recapture modeling approach as a novel methodology for estimating population parameters of the reintroduced elk in the Kentucky Elk Restoration Zone of southeastern Kentucky. She has varied experience and interests in the wildlife realm, including within the spatial ecology, community dynamics, disease, and genetics fields, and is excited to play a role in the work of CKWRI's North Program. Claire adores the outdoors, hiking, music, and art-related endeavors. 

Current Students

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Calvin Ellis

Ph.D. Student

Population Dynamics & Spatial Ecology of Mule Deer
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Calvin is pursuing a Ph.D. under Drs. Levi Heffelfinger and Michael Cherry at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute with Texas A&M University - Kingsville. Calvin received his master's degree from CKWRI in December 2023 and his bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia in December 2020. His primary research interests include population ecology, movement ecology, nutritional ecology, and predator-prey dynamics. For his Ph.D. research, Calvin is evaluating the population performance and spatial ecology of mule deer in western Oklahoma. Additionally, he is comparing abundance estimation methods to identify the best methodology for mule deer in the southern Great Plains. Calvin is from Hoschton, Georgia and spends his free time enjoying the outdoors, barbequing, photographing wildlife, and mentoring new hunters.

Ashlyn Halseth-Ellis

Ph.D. Student

CWD Epidemiology
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Ashlyn Halseth-Ellis is a current Ph.D. student studying transmission dynamics and diagnostics of Chronic Wasting Disease in a multi-host system. Specifically, her research focuses on developing an agent-based model to simulate the spread of CWD among white-tailed deer, mule deer, and elk from two CWD-positive regions—the Texas Panhandle and Trans-Pecos. Before coming to CKWRI, she obtained her M.Sc. from Ohio State University in 2024 where she studied sarcoptic mange infestations among radio collared coyotes in Chicago, Illinois. Outside of research, Ashlyn is passionate about wildlife education and outreach as she worked as the social media specialist with the non-profit organization, Georgia Wildlife Federation, served as an ambassador for National Wildlife Federation's Artemis program, and has designed numerous educational materials for various organizations.

Miranda Hopper

Ph.D. Student

Interactions Between Native & Exotic Ungulates
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Miranda is pursuing a Ph.D. at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute with Texas A&M University – Kingsville. Miranda received her master's degree from CKWRI in July 2024 and her bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia in May 2021. Her research interests include movement ecology, thermal ecology, and population ecology, especially in the context of environmental change. Under the direction of Dr. Levi Heffelfinger and Dr. Michael Cherry, Miranda’s Ph.D. work will focus on wildlife community dynamics, and specifically competition among native and exotic ungulates, in the Texas Hill Country. Miranda is originally from Covington, Georgia, and in her free time, she enjoys reading, playing piano, baking, and playing with her dog, Maggie.

Katie Pennartz

Ph.D. Student

Current and Future Distributions of Wildlife Throughout the Southwest

Katie is a native Texan who obtained her bachelor's degree in Plant Science from the University of Texas and her master's in Range and Wildlife Science from Texas A&M University Kingsville. Her thesis research focused on shrub encroachment in South Texas and ecological niche modeling. The majority of her work experience was gained as a botanist with the Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring program run by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Ecological Observation Network. Through these positions Katie got the chance to explore the Southwest and fell in love with high desert ecosystems. She is excited to be returning to TAMU-K as a Ph.D. student with research focused on the distribution of mammal and herptile communities in National Parks located on the Colorado Plateau. This research will be necessary for predicting species responses under changing conditions and aligns with her interests in community ecology and distribution modeling. In her free time Katie enjoys reading fantasy books, trail running, and building Legos with her nieces and nephews.

Austin Ibarra

M.S. Student

Cervid Species Interactions and Reproductive Ecology
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Austin is a current M.S. student from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. His youth was spent hiking, snowmobiling, and camping in the mountains of Northwest Colorado where he developed his passion for wildlife and the outdoors. He received his bachelor's degree in Natural Resources Management from Texas Tech University in 2024. During his undergrad he had the opportunity to work in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma. This work covered a range of species including mule deer, pronghorn, white-tailed deer, and white-winged dove. Austin’s masters work focuses on species interactions of elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer in the Texas panhandle.

Joisalyn Tarno

Undergraduate Student Reseracher

​Joisalyn is an undergraduate from Quitman, Texas. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Texas Tech University in Natural Resources Management with a concentration in wildlife biology, expecting to graduate in August 2026. Under the direction of current Ph.D. student Miranda Hopper, she contributes to research on wildlife community dynamics in the Texas Hill Country. Joisalyn is also conducting her own research using camera trap data to study ringtail ecology. Joisalyn enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time outdoors, especially exploring trails with her dog, Maizey. After graduating, she plans to pursue a master’s degree and continue gaining experience within the wildlife research realm.

Aubri Kehoe

Undergraduate Student Researcher

​Aubri is an undergraduate from Las Cruces, New Mexico. She is pursuing a bachelor's degree at Texas Tech University in Natural Resource Management with a concentration in wildlife biology and a minor in agribusiness management, hoping to combine her passions for both wildlife and agriculture to positively impact both fields. She is currently conducting research under the guidance of Ph.D. student Calvin Ellis, evaluating the population performance, spatial ecology, and abundance estimation methodologies of mule deer in western Oklahoma and the southern Great Plains. She is also focusing on predator-deer relationships in these areas, particularly during fawning. Aubri loves being outdoors with her dogs and goats, and especially loves observing large ungulate or predator species. After expected graduation in 2027, she hopes to pursue a master's degree but enjoys gaining diverse experience with a variety of wildlife in the meantime. 

Xavier Rodriguez

Emmalee Balch

Undergraduate Student, 6th Annual Meredith Long Intern
 
Xavier is an undergraduate at Texas Tech University. He's pursuing a bachelor's degree in Natural Resource Management in Aquatics, Fisheries, and Biology and is expecting to graduate in spring 2028. Xavier hopes to pursue a career with Texas Parks and Wildlife as a Texas Game Warden upon graduation. Xavier's position is a donor-sponsored position specific to Texas undergraduates within the wildlife field. He has a specific interest in undergraduate research on foxes. Some of his hobbies include dancing, singing, collecting comics, and fishing.

Undergraduate Student Reseracher

Emmalee is an undergraduate from Fresno, California, currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Texas Tech University in Natural Resources Management with a concentration in wildlife biology. Following graduation in May 2027, she hopes to pursue her master's degree in wildlife and range management. She has a special interest in large mammal ecology and human dimensions of wildlife. She is assisting Ph.D. student Katie Pennartz with the Matador camera project and Ph.D. student Miranda Hopper with the Hill Country camera project. Emmalee loves being outdoors, from hunting and fishing to gardening in her backyard.