Roel R. Lopez Associate Professor Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University email: roel@tamu.edu

Department of Defense, Environmental Readiness Sustainable Ranges and Regional Partnering 1225 South Clark Street, Suite 1500 Arlington, VA 22202 703-604-1820 703-607-1244 (FAX) email: roel.lopez@osd.mil

Specialty:

Wildlife ecology and management, habitat conservation on military lands

Education:

Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 2001
M.S., Texas A&M University, 1996
B.S.F, Stephen F. Austin State University, 1993

Other Professional Experience:

Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Welder Wildlife Fellow
Instructor and Adjunct Faculty, Florida Keys Community College
Teaching Assistant, Texas A&M University
Research Assistant, Texas A&M University
Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Forest Service

Research Direction:

My primary research interests are in wildlife ecology and management, particularly with endangered and/or fragmented populations, and nuisance populations in urban settings. The former group generally becomes threatened or endangered as a population’s range becomes restricted to protected areas, whereas the latter becomes problematic to human populations with increased urban encroachment. My research projects are varied; however, research questions addressing endangered and fragmented populations or nuisance populations in urban landscapes impact communities and stakeholders from the standpoint of health and safety issues, local/state economies, land-use planning, and policy formation and implementation. I find this “problem-based” approach to wildlife research rewarding. My work also involves the use of spatial technologies, such as remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), radiotelemetry, and the integration of these technologies into computer simulation models that address specific research questions. Within this framework, my research goal is to increase our understanding of wildlife populations and habitat management, and to transfer this knowledge to private landowners, federal and state agencies, rural and urban planners, and other land managers. Use of “translational science” is particularly important to me in conducting wildlife research because I believe research has the greatest impact when both the conservation and management of natural resources improves, and our research findings have a direct, positive impact “on the ground”. I also maintain that collaborative research that includes an extension component is paramount to the successful implementation and translation of research to the people we serve.

I am on a 2-year IPA with the Department of Defense, Environmental Readiness program, and will not be taking graduate students into my lab.

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Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences