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From the Cleveland Metroparks to the prairies of Montana and North Dakota, from the Cloud Forests of Ecuador to Lake Erie's Put-In-Bay, wildlife biologist Brian Tornabene '08 has immersed himself in ecological research and conservation efforts.
More than a decade after earning his Bachelor of Science at BW, he looks back on his undergraduate days with fondness and credits his educational experiences with BW biology faculty as integral to his career path.
"Dr. [Michael] Melampy nurtured my curiosity for, and catalyzed my interest in, understanding the natural history of species and conducting meaningful research," Tornabene said.
"He made science so much fun and took students out to the field so we could learn hands on. I even studied abroad with him in Ecuador, which was an incredible experience! I still use many of the techniques I learned with him in my work today."
After graduation, BW faculty recommendations helped him land full-time employment as a teacher and research assistant at The Ohio State University Stone Laboratory on Lake Erie.
Tornabene
then
went
on
to
earn
his
Master
of
Science
in
Fish
and
Wildlife
Management
at
Montana
State
University
in
Bozeman,
where
his
thesis
focused
on
spiny
softshell
turtles
in
the
Missouri
River
in
central
Montana.
Tornabene tracked the turtles using radio telemetry and closely monitored nesting activities, following their movements over a six-month period for three years, during which he and his team encountered weather extremes from blizzards to floods. Tornabene said, "It's not often you get to spend that much time and become intimate with such a wild, untamed place."
Tornabene
joined
Purdue
University
as
a
research
technician
-
working
with
North
America's
largest
salamander,
the
hellbender,
which
can
grow
up
to
two
feet
long
-
and
a
laboratory
manager
investigating
the
influences
of
environmental
contaminants
and
diseases
on
diverse
amphibian
species.
Tornabene is currently working toward his doctoral degree in wildlife biology at the University of Montana in Missoula, where he is studying the effects of oil extraction on amphibians. He has also been awarded the W.A. Franke Endowed Graduate Fellowship, the Clancy Gordon Environmental Scholarship and the prestigious Bertha Morton Scholarship.
