New Faculty Member Finds Joy in Wildlife

Staff Writer

   A recent addition to the School of Forest Resources faculty finds great joy in the study of the natural world's ability to coexist.

   Alexandra Felix, assistant professor of Spatial Information Systems and Wildlife, teaches an array of classes at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. She graduated in May 2008 from Michigan State University where she obtained a doctorate. Her background includes forestry, wildlife and geographic information systems.

   The University hired her in June 2008. She said she feels very fortunate have gotten her dream job right out of school. She also said she likes the area and the campus feel, but said she found it a challenge going from Michigan to Arkansas because of the geographical differences.

   Introduction to GIS student Drew Tubbs said, “If you’re interested at all in computers, forestry, survey or wildlife it’s a good class.”

   Her introductory level SIS class gives first-year students exposure to GIS and survey. Her introduction to GIS course teaches the skills of GPS remote and analyzing maps with data. She also offers advanced GIS 2, which provides skills in spatial modeling, acquiring and creating data and spatial analysis.

   She also teaches a senior level Practicum course in which she assigns real-world projects. Student Mark Henderson said she is knowledgeable, very hands on and always willing to help.

   Felix began a project to examine the populations of the woodcock, a shorebird. The birds breed in the north part of the country and migrate south for winter. Two populations exist, one east of the Mississippi river and one west of the Mississippi river. An important number of the birds live in Arkansas. Felix wants to better understand the population here, and the importance of the vegetation they consume. She said the woodcock's declining national numbers continues to be an unanswered question.

   Felix said anything to understand wildlife relationships with environments and to conserve them would help us all live in a sustainable way. She said humans can negatively or positively affect these relationships, and the more we know about them, the more productive our coexistence.

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