Dr. Viorel Popescu, Lab PI, Senior Lecturer and Director of Master of Science Program in Biodiversity Data Analytics (v.popescu@columbia.edu; download CV). I am a broadly trained ecologist and environmental scientist from Romania, who accidentally fell into conservation biology and never looked back. I love herps and cuddling with large carnivores and I spend too much time doing stats. I enjoy spelling trouble for grad students, teaching conservation and ecology, and working with conservation practitioners.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Matt Huang, MA student, 2025-present; Matt hails from Upstate New York, where he has spent many years contributing to freshwater turtle conservation. As a Cornell graduate, Matt’s interests span wildlife ecology and conservation, and he is interested in exploring the mechanisms and conditions triggering nest abandonment and filial cannibalism in Eastern Hellbenders. When Matt is not in E3B, you can probably find him climbing some rocks!
Luveen Wadhwani, MA student, 2025-present; Luveen holds a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Arlington, and has worked as a software engineer in Silicon Valley for 15 years. He embarked on his conservation journey with a Sustainability Certificate from City College of San Francisco. He serves as Chief Technology Officer at Voices for Asian Elephants, overseeing their technology efforts since 2020. At Columbia E3B he will continue to explore AI and machine learning for large mammal movement ecology to power community-led conservation. Luveen is an avid cat person, wildlife photographer, and Bollywood fan. His other interests include yoga, hiking, video games, and cooking (especially Indian, Japanese, and Thai).
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Marcella Sophia Servedio Willett, Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology – meta-analysis of genetic studies for abundance estimation in brown and black bears
Quinby Janes, Columbia University, Sustainable Development, SIPA
Kaya Mims, Barnard College
Lab alumni
Graduate students
Brigitte Harbers (2024-26) – MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Columbia University – machine-learning methods for elk detection from drone imagery in Paradise Valley, Montana
Soham Mehta (2024-26) – MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Columbia University – drivers of human-wildlife conflict in Madre de Dios, Peruvian Amazon
Hannah Hess (2024-26) – MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Columbia University – trophic interactions in a Carpathian mammalian community
Adrian Casanova (2024-26) – MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Columbia University – ecotourism and natural assets in Madre de Dior, Peruvian Amazon
Arel Triyono (2024-26) – MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Columbia University – Eastern Hellbender space use in relation to infrastructure
Dani Pergola (2023-25) – MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Columbia University – Eastern Hellbender density and behavior
Henry Hardy (2023-25) – MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Columbia University – bobcat and coyote co-occupancy in the Midwestern US
Jared Kannel (2023-25) – MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Columbia University – effects of bison rewildling on habitat in the Romanian Carpathians
Dr. Courtney Silver-Peavey (2019-2024) – PhD in Biological Sciences, Ohio University – behavioral carryover effects of neonic pesticides in wood frogs
Lucy Holland (2022-2024) – MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Columbia University – spatial ecology of translocated European Bison in the Romanian Carpathians
Sam Mathes (2022-2024) – MSc in Biological Sciences, Ohio University (current position: PhD student at Mississipi State University) – ecological and physiological effects of altered water quality on hellbender larvae
Dr. Matthew Kaunert (2017-2024) – PhD in Biological Sciences (current position: Director of the Clean Water Institute at Lycoming College, PA) – Eastern hellbender ecology, behavior and conservation (see Hellbent)
Dr. Marissa Dyck (2018-2023) – PhD in Biological Sciences, Ohio University (current position: Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Victoria, Canada) – bobcat population viability and mammalian intraguild interactions
Dr. Cassandra Thompson (2016-2022) – PhD in Biological Sciences, Ohio University (current position: Assistant Professor at Lees-McRae College, Banner Elk NC) – carryover effects of multiple stressors on ond-breeding amphibians
Ryan Brown (2020-2022) – MSc in Biological Sciences, Ohio University (current position: Biologist at Pheasants Forever and USDA-NRCS, Montoursville PA) – effects of elevated conductivity on hellbender eggs and larvae
Dr. Mihai Pop (2015-2019) – PhD at University of Bucharest, co-advised with Dr. Laurentiu Rozylowicz (current position: Senior Scientist at Association for Biodiversity Conservation, Romania) – brown bear ecology and management in Romania
Heidi Bencin (2016-2018) – MSc in Biological Sciences, Ohio University (current position: detection dog wildlife consultant, California) – bobcat occurrence and co-occurrence with coyotes, bobcat road mortality risk in Ohio
Marcel Weigand (2016-2018) – MSc in Biological Sciences, Ohio University (current position: Northeastern Ohio Conservation Coordinator, The Nature Conservancy) – impacts of roads on Eastern Box Turtles in Ohio
Eva Garcia – MSc student intern (University of Montpellier, France; March-August 2018) – road mortality in turtle populations
Postdocs
Dr. Iulia Miu (Oct 2023-March 2024) – Fulbright postdoctoral researcher, systematic conservation planning (current position: Researcher, University of Bucharest, Romania)
Dr. Chris Baker (2019-2021) – Postdoctoral researcher; cosupervised with Dr. Naomi Pierce, Harvard University and Dr. Doug Yu, Kunming Institute of Zoology) – hierarchical modeling of enviromental DNA data in Western China (current position: Assistant Professor, UMass Boston)
Dr. Florina Stanescu (February-June 2018) – Fulbright postdoctoral researcher, amphibian development and climate change (current position: Research Associate, Ovidius University, Constanta)
Dr. Ruben Iosif (2015-17) – Postdoctoral researcher, hierarchical wildlife modeling (current position: Senior Scientist at Conservation Carpathia Foundation, Romania)
Undergraduate students
Jillian Sullivan, Barnard College 2026 – co-occupancy of marten, wildcat nad badger in the Romanian Carpathians
Peyton Munroe, Barnard College 2026 – eastern hellbender ethology and behavirs in relation to water quality
Ashlynn Canode, OHIO WIldlife and Conservation 2023 – bobcat toxicology (current position: MSc student at University of Florida)
Madeline Kenyon, HTC Biological Sciences 2023 – Honors Thesis: Developing monitoring protocols for beavers in Ohio (current position: MSc student in Public Health at Tufts University)
Andrew Connolly, Ohio Honors Program 2023 – Honors Thesis: Anuran community occupancy dynamics in Wayne National Forest (current position: Education Coordinator, Beardsley Zoo, Connecticut)
Paige Roswell, OHIO Honors Program 2023 (hellbender ecology research assistant)
Era Bakia, OHIO Wildlife and Conservation 2023 (carryober effects in amphibians research assistant)
Helena Littler, OHIO Biological Sciences major 2023 (hellbender ecology research assistant)
Sarah Romer, OHIO Wildlife and Conservation 2021 (hellbender ecology research assistant)
Ryan Wagner, OHIO Wildlife and Conservation 2020 – Honors Thesis: Snake road mortality hotspots in SE Ohio (current position: PhD student at Washington State University, Vancouver)
Megan Sweeney, OHIO Environmental Biology 2020 – Honors Thesis: Effects of Imidacloprid on larval wood frog behavior (current position: District Technician at Madison Soil and Water Conservation District, OH)
Andrew Travers, OHIO Wildlife and Conservation 2020 (hellbender ecology research assistant)
Noah Skinner, OHIO Wildlife and Conservation major 2018 (hellbender ecology research assistant)
Sanketh Menon, OHIO Biological Sciences 2020 (current position: The Nature Conservancy, Indiana)
Christine Hanson, OHIO Environmental Biology major 2019 (hellbender and bobcat ecology research assistant)
Julia Golias, OHIO Wildlife and Conservation 2019 (current position: Biologist at US Forest Service)
Kyle Brooks, OHIO Wildlife and Conservation 2017 (current position: Public Affairs Officer at US Forest Service, Wayne National Forest, OH)
Mackenzie Rich – HTC Biological Sciences 2017, Honors Thesis: Interactions between terrestrial carnivores in SE Ohio (current position: Biologist at California Fish and Game)
