Tih-Fen Ting, PhD

Principal Investigator (PI)

Tih-Fen Ting received her Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environment from the University of Michigan. She has a M.S. in Wildlife from Humboldt State University and a B.S. in Biology from Tunghai University. Her research interests include conservation ecology and population-environment interactions. Broadly speaking, Dr. Ting is interested in examining and finding ways to conserve species, habitats, and ecosystems in our human-dominated landscapes. A major focus of her research program has been on the conservation and recovery of threatened and endangered species, including state-listed species such as Franklin’s ground squirrel, osprey, and short-eared owl. Students in her lab investigate population dynamics, occupancy, habitat use, and movement ecology of various wildlife. The research program of Ting Lab builds on the principles of conservation biology, population ecology, population genetics, ecological and spatial modeling, natural resources management, and other disciplines.

Natalie Barber

M.S. Candidate

Natalie graduated from Kalamazoo College with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Psychology. As an undergraduate she conducted research analyzing the water quality of a freshwater stream using aquatic macro-invertebrates as boindicators. Natalie is particularly interested in research that guides conservation and after graduating, was a research technician through Michigan State University working on a project focused on ground beetle populations in agricultural fields. She then worked as a research technician through the University of Missouri assisting with research on wild turkey nest success and poult survival. Her master’s thesis is focused on how climate change is impacting the breeding success and recruitment of ospreys.

Karina Davis

M.S. Candidate

Karina graduated from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 2024 with a B.S. in Conservation Biology, a minor in Forestry, and a minor in Native Peoples and the Environment. Karina is particularly interested in avian and restoration ecology, especially pertaining to the conservation planning aspect of both. During her time at SUNY ESF, she took part in many club and research activities. Karina's proudest accomplishment was completing her undergraduate thesis where she created mechanistic species distribution models and connectivity models for the Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona vittata) using ArcGIS pro. Her current research involves comparing advanced deep learning techniques with conventional machine learning techniques to assess their effectiveness for classifying vegetation types and to guide conservation at Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms Reserves.  

Nikki Zuber

M.S. Candidate

Nikki graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies in 2021. After graduating, Nikki went on to work on numerous research projects mainly focusing on population monitoring for endangered species. She has worked on projects with Chinook salmon, California Spotted Owls, Northern Goshawks, the Mojave Desert Tortoise, the Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander; and most recently, the Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk. Her fieldwork has taken her throughout California, Nevada, Florida, and Puerto Rico. While working with the Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk, Nikki reawakened her passion for raptors. Her main study interests include modeling population dynamics and working on reintroduction projects for endangered species. This brought Nikki to the Ting lab, where she is now a master’s student working on conducting a population viability analysis on the osprey population within the state of Illinois.

Amber Blackert

M.S. Candidate

I graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in Spring 2015 with my B.S. in Zoology with a specialization in wildlife biology and conservation, and a minor in environmental Science. I have worked and volunteered in different areas from volunteering in the bird house at Niabi zoo to conducting search efficiency surveys in conjunction to bat mortality due to wind turbines before starting as a technician at the Illinois River Biological Station in 2017 where I found my passion for fisheries. In July of 2019, I was promoted to the Emiquon Project Coordinator and shortly after began my graduate work on Emiquon. My research focuses on better understanding the influence of abiotic and biotic predictors on year class strength and yearly growth using otoliths from Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, and Black Crappie at the Emiquon Preserve.

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Dr. Tih-Fen Ting
Conservation Ecology Lab
Department of Environmental Studies
University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407