Eldridge Wisely

Year entered the Ph.D. Program: Fall 2014

Research Advisor: Melanie Culver 
Research topic: Eldridge Wisely came to the Genetics PhD program from a background in Ecology.  She graduated from New College of Florida with a BA in Biology and a focus in Big Cat Conservation.  She has worked on conservation projects in Belize, Paraguay, and Texas, and has studied ocelots, bobcats, pumas, and jaguars in their natural habitats through camera-trapping, radio-collaring, and non-invasive genetic techniques.  Her interest in non-invasive genetic monitoring of wildlife led her to the Culver lab at the University of Arizona where she decided to pursue Genetics at the PhD level.  Eldridge is interested in a variety of topics, including environmental DNA monitoring of marine ecosystems, community structure elucidation from environmental DNA, predator ecology through non-invasive monitoring techniques, and ancient migrations of populations.  When she's not in the lab or the field, Eldridge is also a fiddle player in an Irish band, and a PADI scuba instructor.