|
|
Hi. I'm Maggie.
I use mathematical modeling and remote sensing to study how fire, herbivory, climate, and surface water interact to shape African savanna communities. |
📖 latest publication 📖 Schaffer-Smith et al. Tracking a blue wave of ephemeral water across arid southern Africa, Environ. Res. Lett. 2022. |
|
|
I'm an NSF GRF-funded ecology PhD candidate in the Clark and Alberts labs at Duke University. I research how water access, climate, and management choices influence herbivore population trends in South Africa and antelope movements in Namibia. For my science communication work, check out my science writing page or my TED-style talk on waterholes and elephant conservation. Beyond research, I write short fiction and data science tutorials; teach grade schoolers about savannas; seek to decolonize my ecology; and play classical guitar. I am at my happiest snapping photos in the African bush or waist-deep in the Eno River, stalking my subjects like a heron. |
