Russell Burke
I am interested in the ecology, evolution, and conservation biology of vertebrates, mostly reptiles and mammals. Most of the species I study are either introduced species or rare species, thus population control (either up or down) is important to me. And because a lot of my field work takes place in the urban and suburban habitats of New York City and Long Island, you could call it Urban Ecology.
Currently, my major research projects involve diamondback terrapins at Jamaica Bay, wood turtles in northern New Jersey, the coyote invasion of Long Island and its community ecology implications, and interesting new ways to census vertebrates.
I earned my M.S. in Wildlife Ecology from University of Florida and my Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in the Department of Biology. I worked two years as a post-doc at UM’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment. I joined Hofstra in 1996 and currently am both professor and Department Chair.
My courses at Hofstra include Ecology, Conservation Biology, and Ecology of Wildlife Diseases.
I am a member of the Ecological Society of America, American Society for Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, the Herpetologist League, Association of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, The Wildlife Society, and the Chelonian Research Foundation.
