Erin Buchholtz

PhD Student

Sam's research interests revolve largely around animal movement and studying the spatial ecology of underrepresented taxa. Most of her research and experience in the field has involved large reptiles. Before starting at Clemson, she worked in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, working on a variety of projects with both native and invasive herpetofauna. Prior to this, she completed her master’s degree at Suranaree University of Technology in Thailand, where her thesis focused on the movement ecology and habitat selection of native Burmese pythons. Now, at Clemson, Sam is working on projects that include further investigating the movement ecology of Gopher tortoises and their responses to land management as well as researching some of the ecosystem services that Gopher tortoises provide to their commensal species. 

PhD Student, co-advised with D. Jachowski

John is a PhD student studying population estimation methods for black bear in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina, comparing estimates based on camera traps and hair snares. He earned his B.S. in Wildlife Biology and a minor in statistics from the University of Montana and his M.S. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management in the Park Solutions Lab at Clemson University where he focused on bear viewing in Alaska. John's research interests include quantitative methods, carnivore ecology, population dispersal, and human-wildlife conflict. He has studied giant pandas in China, common loons in Glacier National Park, and most recently worked as the assistant project coordinator for a statewide bobcat population assesment in California.

PhD Student

Charlie’s research interests lie in animal movement and migration ecology. Specifically, he is interested in how anthropogenic changes to the environment and the introduction of non-native species affects the patterns and behaviors of these organisms, especially large mammals. Before starting at Clemson, Charlie received his B.S. in Integrative Organismal Biology from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. He also received his M.S. from East Stroudsburg University where he worked on predator defense behaviors of eastern gray squirrels in urban and rural environments. At Clemson, he plans to advance his research and technical skills working on population assessments, connectivity modeling, and management practices of invasive wild pigs in Clemson’s Experimental forest and the southeastern U.S.

PhD Student

Kalpapran is studying critically endangered red wolves' movement ecology, space use and connectivity. He completed his MRes (Master of Research) degree from Nottingham Trent University where he studied African leopard population ecology and constructed a predictive model to estimate their population on a continental scale. Following this project, in his leisure time, Kalpapran is currently also working on developing an individual based model that explicitly accounts for leopard demography and movement to assess and predict functional connectivity of leopard habitats.

MS Student

Ty's research interests exist at the intersection of critical Black-Indigenous ecologies, socio-ecological systems, human-nature interactions, and community ecology. Prior to arriving at Clemson, Ty attended Central Michigan University, where they worked on salamander and mussel ecology. They worked as a natural history museum assistant at CMU's MCNH and spent time at the Memphis Zoo and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. At Clemson, Ty's research is specifically focused on understanding the land-use legacy effects of historic rice agriculture on both ecological and socio-cultural communities in the South Carolina lowcountry. Moving forward, Ty strives to continue working on interdisciplinary research with direct applications to supporting conservation efforts, fostering human-nature coexistence, and empowering Black-Indigenous communities, livelihoods, and knowledge frameworks. 

Research Biologist

Lydia is originally from Hawaii and recently joined the lab to work on the Hurricane Helene Recovery Project, researching hurricane impacts on terrestrial ecosystems in Western North Carolina. She earned her B.S. in Biology and minored in Environmental Science at Barnard College, Columbia University, in NYC, and gained her M.S. in Wildlife and Natural Resources at Kansas State University, where she focused on the occupancy and distribution of southern flying squirrels in a fragmented landscape. Before arriving at Clemson, she worked in the mammals department at Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, TX, and with Texas A&M University as a technician researching impacts of prescribed fires on small mammal and bird communities in southern Texas. She is particularly interested in landscape ecology and understanding how land use can drive species movement and connectivity. 

​MS - August 2026

Thesis: Insect abundance and bat use of fields for foraging in the Cumberland Plateau