Prospective students
If you are interested in my lab’s research, please reach out to me by email (kimvalenta@ufl.edu) with your CV and a brief summary of your interests. I am also happy to mentor undergraduates who are currently pursuing a degree at the University of Florida and are interested in conducting independent research.
Current students
Caitlynn Filla began her PhD at the University of Florida in 2020, after earning a Masters degree in biological anthropology from UW-Madison with a focus on primate nutritional ecology. Her research interests are in the gut microbiomes of wild lemur populations, antimicrobial resistance in protected landscapes, and the application of research for creating sustainable conservation programs in Madagascar.
Siddharth Satishchandran is a PhD student at the University of Florida (Fall 2023) who holds a Masters degree in primate biology, behavior, and conservation from Roehampton University in London, with a focus on animal coloration and intra-specific signaling among primates. His research is focused on linguistic pragmatics, including the role of gestures in primate communication. Sidd works with captive chimpanzees, and has conducted research in Tai National Forest, with the support of Dr. Scott McGraw at The Ohio State University.
Thomas Kelly is a PhD student at the University of Florida (Fall 2023) with a master's in Applied Ecology. He is broadly interested in anthropogenic climate change and how it affects tropical ecosystems. Tom’s research includes using bioacoustic monitors to establish refaunation in reforestation plots in Madagascar, and modelling to understand the distribution of critically endangered primates in Madagascar.
Avirup Sinha (co-advised by Dr. Stephanie Bogart, University of Florida) a Biological Anthropology PhD student at the University of Florida with a Masters in Biotechnology from St. Xavier's College, Kolkata. He has worked on the behavioral ecology of elephants and primates. His dissertation research involves describing the vocal repertoire of Central Himalayan langurs, and investigating the impact of anthropogenic disturbance and predator density on vocal behavior.
Kalpana Ghimire (co-advisor Dr. Stephanie Bogart) is a biological anthropology PhD student at the University of Florida. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Science with specialization on wildlife ecology and conservation from Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, focused on primate behavioral ecology. Her research interests are diverse and include behavioral ecology, community forestry, ecosystem services, and sustainable forest management and restoration.
Kailey Schaible is an undergraduate at the University of Florida. She is interested in everything from microbes to space, plants to animals! She is currently working on several projects in the lab, including DNA extraction and behavioral coding. She also received a CLAS award to continue her work on assessing species forest use in Madagascar using camera traps.
Lab alumni
Past graduate students
Dr. Akhil Kshirsagar, PhD, University of Florida. The impacts of human-animal interactions and zoonotic disease: A geographic sampler.
Radoniana R. Rafaliarison, MSc, University of Antananarivo. The Feeding Ecology of Brown Lemurs.
Francette F. Vololonirina, MSc, University of Antananarivo. The role of variable light environments on brown lemur feeding.
Past undergraduate students
Laura Haynes, BSc, University of Florida. Ecotourism in Madagascar: The effect of COVID-19 on human occupancy in Andasibe's forests. Laura is currently a graduate student at U Mass Amherst.
Dominic Mayo, BSc, University of Florida. Dog predation of Malagasy wildlife. Dominic is currently a graduate student at the University of Michigan.
David Jimenez-Vallejo, BSc, Duke University. Spatial analysis of dog pathogen risk in protected areas in Madagascar. David is currently a graduate student at Emory University.
Annabella Helman, BSc, Duke University. Understanding the role of odor in lemur feeding preferences.