Joy O’Keefe (She/Her)

Joy O’Keefe grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, the land of vinegar style BBQ and sweet tea, but always wanted to be from the Midwest, so it has worked out well that this has become her academic home. From a young age, Joy was passionate about conserving animals – first the voles the cat brought to the back door, then tigers were a passion, and finally bats captured her heart. She completed her B.S. in Zoology from North Carolina State University, with an undergraduate thesis on behavior of Coquerel’s sifakas. Then she moved to Kentucky to do her M.S. in Biology, studying Ruffed Grouse at Eastern Kentucky University. She headed south again to complete her Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University studying the ecology of forest-dwelling bats in western North Carolina. Joy has since led many large-scale projects studying bat ecology in the southern Appalachian Mountains and the Midwest. Understanding bat responses to forest management has been a major focus of her work, but she is also keen on other types of conservation-oriented work for the threatened and endangered bats of eastern North America. jmokeefe at illinois.edu

Josie Hoppenworth (She/Her)

Josie Hoppenworth is from DeKalb, Illinois, home of the DeKalb Barbs (their mascot is a crow… obviously). She received her Bachelor’s degree in 2023 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she studied civil and environmental engineering. While she pursued a degree in engineering, she has always had a passion for the environment. Following a study abroad trip to Tanzania in December 2022, she became determined to work with mammals for the purpose of wildlife conservation. She is now pursuing a Master’s degree in the department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences under Dr. Joy O’Keefe. Her thesis focuses on the factors affecting the longevity of historical tree roosts used by the Northern long-eared bat and Indiana bat in southern Indiana. The results of this study will help scientists understand the persistence of tree roosts on the landscape and provide guidance for forest management practices. jch8 at illinois.edu

Johnny Baakliny (He/Him)

Johnny Baakliny is an Architect turned Wildlife Conservationist. He grew up in Lebanon surrounded by pine forests and mountainous terrains of a highly biodiverse region of the Mediterranean, which sparked his early passion for the natural environment and concerns for conservation. Johnny is a passionate researcher, field herper, and wildlife photographer with a deep appreciation for the beauty and diversity of amphibians and reptiles. He is currently completing his Master’s of Landscape Architecture (MLA) with a cross-disciplinary focus on the relationship between humans and wildlife. His Master’s research examines management practices and public attitudes towards snakes in Southern Illinois, and the impacts of “Snake Road,” a distinct landscape with exceptional biodiversity that draws a large public, bringing them into close proximity with venomous snakes, namely Cottonmouths. Johnny also shares a deep passion for bat conservation and has worked as a Bat Field-Technician on several projects and currently assists Professor O’Keefe in her public education and outreach work at the Illinois Extension. Johnny believes in bridging ecological research and socio-political concerns to better inform conservation practices and influence public attitudes and perceptions towards wildlife. johnnyb2 at illinois.edu

Nicole Dobrosky (She/Her)

Nicole Dobrosky is from Easton, Pennsylvania, city of hoagies and home to Crayola crayons. Her lifelong interest in wildlife conservation led her to earn a BA in Animal Behavior in 2020 from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. She studied abroad in Kenya and has assisted in researching capuchin monkeys at F&M, flying squirrels in Tennessee, sage grouse in Idaho, and wild turkeys and black rails in Florida. Her undergraduate honors thesis examined urban bat ecology in Lancaster, and she is excited to return to studying bats for her Master’s thesis. Her research focuses on estimating population density of Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) utilizing acoustic monitoring. She is particularly interested in anthropogenic impact on wildlife populations and how this research might be applied to forest management decisions. ncd5 at illinois.edu

Matthew Zianni (He/Him)

Matthew Zianni is from Gahanna, Ohio, the state’s herb capital. He learned to ride horses and milk cows in the California high desert during his two years at Deep Springs College before transferring to Ohio State University and graduating in 2019 with a degree in Zoology. Sage grouse in Idaho, black footed ferrets in central Arizona, New Mexico meadow jumping mice in eastern Arizona, the Bureau of Land Management in California, invasive plants in Kentucky, and small mammals in Nevada were all part of his wildlife journey leading to the University of Illinois. His research explores how invasion of Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera mackii) impacts the foraging of Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) and where to prioritize management actions. During his free time Matthew reads books, watches anime, goes on hikes, and misses his cats in Gahanna. mzianni2 at illinois.edu

Katie Fitzgerald (She/Her)

Katie Fitzgerald grew up in sunny San Diego. She earned her bachelor of science degree in Natural Resource Management and Conservation from San Francisco State University. After taking a field course on the ecology of bats, she was officially hooked. This interest led to working with various agencies, such as National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She had the opportunity to assist in bat research in southern Mexico, Borneo, and Madagascar. She completed her Master’s degree at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. Her Master’s work characterized seasonal variation of the diet of cave myotis (Myotis velifer) found in a historic fort in Presidio, Texas. Katie’s Ph.D. research will focus on monitoring the health of Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) to determine whether forest management practices affect populations. Managed sites that are effective may provide bats with various roosting habitats and minimize competition with conspecifics. In addition to connecting to nature through science, Katie enjoys backpacking and is a novice rock climber. kvf2 at illinois.edu

Ezekiel was raised in San Diego County before heading to Virginia Beach, where he earned a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences and a minor in mathematics. Here, he got experience with research on bats via bioacoustics and developed a passion for them. He went on to complete a master’s degree at the University of Michigan, where he focused on forest ecology and published research on the potential impacts of novel flooding on native and invasive plant recruitment. From this experience, Ezekiel realized the importance of the relationship between bats and forests and that there is more to learn. Ezekiel’s PhD research will generally look at the population and community ecology of bats by focusing on the trophic relationships bats have with insects and forest tree species. Ezekiel’s passion for the environment extends beyond academia, as he has explored various landscapes through rock climbing, backpacking and hiking, foraging in the woods around Illinois, living out of his van, and learning about the fellow creatures that call Earth home. ehbevan at illinois.edu