Affiliates

Why join WyldTech?

  • Engage in a collaborative space that facilitates productivity in your own scholarly area
  • Become eligible for WyldTech Seed Grants to kick off new projects
  • Apply for Science Initiative Graduate Fellowships in association with the Center
  • Encourage applications for Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships in association with the Center
  • Access the Center’s shared resources:
    • Equipment
    • Computation (hardware/software)
    • Data
  • Attend trainings, workshops, and other events sponsored by the Center

Apply to become an affiliate


CURRENT AFFILIATES

Scientist with glasses and white sweater

Ellen Aikens

Assistant Professor 

School of Computing and Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources 

Engineering Building 4093, 307-766-5294 

eaikens@uwyo.edu 

https://sites.google.com/view/ellenaikens 

My research program focuses on merging animal tracking, remote sensing, and field research to gain insights into the resource and habitat requirements of wildlife. Our group also assesses emerging threats to critical habitats and works to understand the impacts of habitat change on wildlife behavior and populations. We are interested in leveraging big data to gain new insights into the ecological world and to help translate this data into meaningful information that can be used by wildlife managers and conservation practitioners. Much of our research focuses on highly mobile species, including migratory mammals and birds. 

Scientist with green/gray dress shirt

Shannon E. Albeke

Ecoinformaticist and Secnior Research Scientist

WyGISC and School of Computing

Agriculture C 323, 307-760-9993

salbeke@uwyo.edu

https://www.uwyo.edu/soc/people/soc-faculty/research-scientists/shannon-albeke.html

My research interests focus on applied GIS, programming, and statistics. As my career has progressed, I've transitioned from being a geospatial modeler to a Research Software Engineer. In this role, I design and develop software solutions in collaboration with researchers, leveraging cutting-edge cyberinfrastructure and flexible programming approaches. To promote transparent science and data reuse, I facilitate data sharing through Open Data standards and persistent API development. I collaborate with researchers to develop databases, web-based dashboards, and data pipelines, offering consultation and programming services to ensure efficient storage, processing, and visualization of research data. My primary goal is to help researchers transition to a cloud-enabled environment, allowing them to use data from multiple sources without the need for downloading or copying information between computers. By making data reusable, I aim to enhance the transparency and reproducibility of scientific methods and results.

Scientist with black dress shirt

Jian Gong

Research Scientist

School of Computing

Engineering Building 4079B, 307-766-5229

jgong@uwyo.edu

https://gojian.github.io

My research in applied computation centers on “edge computing”, where the bandwidth of network connection is not always guaranteed, and computation is at the close affinity of sensors and actuators. Edge computing is exciting in the new age of AI, where power requirements and processing capabilities of silicon chips have improved immensely and algorithms of AI (neural networks) have advanced, taking advantage of these new hardware. Previously challenging tasks such as processing video streams on the fly, gathering intelligence directly from multiple input sensor data, making decisions in real-time, on-device, while safeguarding sensitive information, maintaining security, etc., have become a reality. The focus of my research projects in affiliation with the WyldTech Center is to conduct highly relevant, domain-specific research in collaboration with domain researchers. I aim to pursue projects that harness the power of advanced sensors and AI algorithms. My approach is to engineer, miniaturize and weather-proof these devices and bring them to remote field locations, in the elements where wildlife resides. From AI-powered camera traps to soundscape microphones, I hope to advance edge computing as a tool by focusing on real-world applications.

Scientist with dark hair in green sweater

Rebecca Levine

Research Scientist 

Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources 

Crane Hall 115, 612-385-6669

rlevine1@uwyo.edu 

https://monteithshop.org/ 

My research blends disciplines and techniques to better understand how mammals respond to environmental change. As a Research Scientist in the Monteith Shop, I focus on feedback loops between animal state, behavior, and the thermal environment. My previous work has unpacked the causes and consequences of thermoregulatory behavior and the ways that sexual traits and thermal conditions interact to shape reproduction. The approach for these investigations has included rigorous fieldwork, movement modeling, and biophysical modeling. I work in close collaboration with wildlife managers, biophysical ecologists, and software developers to build our understanding of how large mammals cope with environmental extremes. 

scientist in blue shirt and vest

Jerod Merkle

Associate Professor & Knobloch Professor of Migration Ecology and Conservation

Zoology & Physiology

Biological Sciences 422, 307-766-5448

jmerkle@uwyo.edu

https://merkleresearchgroup.org/

My research group merges a variety of data sources with ecological theory to conduct research and develop data products that address the needs of land and wildlife managers and conservation practitioners. Importantly, we strive to make a lasting impact on the field of wildlife ecology and management by co-producing research with our partners and providing analytical, scientific, and data support and guidance to partners at the state, federal, and international levels. For instance, my group develops web applications that bring big data to the fingertips of anyone (see https://wildlifemovetools.org/). Some of our projects include using drones to study group dynamics in migrating ungulates, using cloud technology to prioritize on-the-ground conservation actions, and using state-of-the-art movement modeling techniques to understand thresholds of development and impacts of cheatgrass invasion, and using novel web-based mapping and data management techniques to synthesize, manage, visualize, and analyze wildlife and environmental data for managers.

Scientist with hat and glasses in canyon

Lusha Tronstad

Lead Invertebrate Zoologist 

Wyoming Natural Diversity Database 

Berry Center 315I, 307-766-3115 

tronstad@uwyo.edu 

My laboratory group uses creative methods to investigate invertebrates of conservation concern using novel techniques with technological solutions. We focus on mollusks, aquatic insects, pollinators and crustaceans. Our studies range from population to ecosystem perspectives. We collect information that aids managers in making informed decisions by producing relevant data using a variety of statistical techniques. 

Scientist in gray suit and glasses

Chen Xu

Associate Professor

WyGISC, School of Computing

Agriculture C 332, (307) 766-2532

cxu3@uwyo.edu

Dr. Chen Xu is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing, specializing in geocomputation and geographic information science. His research focuses on understanding mobility patterns using network models, which helps him study movement behaviors and trends in different environments. Currently, Dr. Xu is collaborating on the creation of a new bioacoustics laboratory. This lab will be a key resource for sound-based research, supporting studies in environmental and ecological fields. Researchers will use this facility to explore how wildlife interacts with their habitats through sound, contributing to our understanding and conservation of nature.

Scientist in suit

Zejian Zhou

Assistant Professor

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science 

Engineering Building 5036, 307-766-6137

zzhou2@uwyo.edu

https://sites.google.com/view/zejian-zhou/

The Autonomous Multi-agent Systems Lab (AMSL) explores ways to generalize autonomy for any system with more than one object (modeled as an agent). The primary focus of AMSL is to design multiple mobile sensor networks such as drone fleets to help collect information in the wild. The mobile sensor networks will benefit Wyoming’s wildlife research by helping collect data for geographic information, animal migration, human-animal coexistence, etc. Autonomous data collection is especially beneficial in Wyoming because of the lower human population yet large territorial size.  The AMSL is also focused on AI-aided data processing.  

 

 

 
 
 
 
 






Find us on Instagram (Link opens a new window)Find us on Facebook (Link opens a new window)Find us on Twitter (Link opens a new window)Find us on LinkedIn (Link opens a new window)Find us on YouTube (Link opens a new window)