| Areas of Expertise
Conservation Biology
| Born
Mexico
| Currently
Texas, USA
| Favorite Quote
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
– Jane Goodall
| Job Title
Conservation Biologist and Professor at Schreiner University
| Degree
Master of Science in Biology
| Biography
I am a conservation biologist that works mostly with reptiles and amphibians, but also other taxa. I focus on ecological and landscape models as they pertain to species diversity, richness, climate change, and presence. I also do pathogen assessments and a lot of natural history studies. I’m also an avid advocate for nature/wildlife leading multiple hikes, and walks through wildlife refuges, and doing a lot of public outreach every year. I try to publish as much of my research as possible and contribute to our ongoing knowledge base of the world around us.
| Just a couple of colleagues hanging out around the water cooler.
| Challenges
As a teen mother and high school dropout, I felt all the odds were against me. However, with a lot of hard work and dedication, everything you want to achieve is within reach. I went from not finishing high school, to being enrolled in a Ph.D. program. Don’t give up!
| Emotional Story
I love doing research and learning new things about the wildlife around us. However, it’s always a bittersweet sensation when we make a new discovery, or revisit sites only to find they are now being plowed for “development.” Nature and wildlife just can’t keep up with the speed of our “progress,” it is a fact that most of us conservationists have to be aware of, as we cannot ignore what’s going on around us.
| Advice
It’s never too late. Do what you love. It’s often an uphill battle, but if you don’t do it, who will? Do not let the pressures of being a woman in STEM dissuade you from pursuing your dreams, keep pressing on.
| If You Could Be Any Animal, What Would You Be?
A snake. They’re shy, quiet, introverted, but sturdy, survivors, all terrain, often misunderstood, under-appreciated, graceful, beautiful, but when threatened will defend themselves to the end.
| Contact
Social: Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/mayra.oyervides
Email: moyervides@schreider.edu
Tags:
Biologist · Conservationist · Reptile · Amphibians · Wildlife Guide · Texas · Mexico · Ecologist
