The People That Support Your Project

Tangled Bank Conservation is comprised of a knowledgeable team that can bring you results for your projects in the field or in the lab. The team enlists the expertise of multiple scientists and field technicians. 

Founder and Lead Scientist

JJ Apodaca

JJ Apodaca is the Founder of Tangled Bank Conservation and the Executive Director of the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy. He received his B.S. in Biology at the University of South Florida in 2004 and his Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Alabama in 2010…

His dissertation work focused on prioritizing areas important to the conservation of amphibians in the southeast at both the macro and micro scales. He has worked on numerous conservation projects across the country, helping some of the most imperiled species in the United States. This list includes the Red Hills Salamander, Bog Turtles, Green Salamanders, Hellbenders, Sicklefin Redhorse, Appalachian Cottontails, and several other species of conservation concern. His research combines multiple fields and methods (i.e., conservation genetics, habitat modeling, life history studies, etc.) in order to develop and inform optimal conservation and management decisions. JJ served as the national chair for Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) for 4 years, working with various partners to push forward amphibian and reptile conservation.

Director of Conservation Genomics

Alex Krohn

Alex Krohn is the Director of Conservation Genomics at Tangled Bank Conservation. He has a BA from Oberlin College, and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He has worked with genomic datasets for over 10 years now, including studying convergent evolution, captive reintroduction feasibility, species and subspecies boundaries, and identifying species with metabarcoding. At Tangled Bank, Alex is responsible for data analysis, bioinformatics, report writing, and project management. 

Director of Applied Conservation

Hope Killian

Hope Killian is the Conservation Programs Coordinator at Tangled Bank Conservation and oversees the company’s field program. Hope earned her B.S. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College. At TBC, she manages the majority of field conservation projects, including habitat restoration and augmentation efforts, wildlife surveys, environmental consultations, and more. She also specializes in GIS analysis, including species distribution modeling, connectivity analysis, and prioritization models. She has extensive hands-on experience working with some of the region’s rarest species, including southern bog turtles and Hickory Nut Gorge green salamanders.

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Director of Ecological Data Analysis

Julianne Pekny

Julianne is the Director of Ecological Data Analysis at Tangled Bank Conservation. She has a BS in Biology from the Pennsylvania State University and a PhD in Ecology with a designated emphasis in Conservation Ecology from the University of California, Davis. Julianne brings 10+ years of experience leading conservation-focused research programs, bridging individual-level animal behavior and physiology studies with landscape-scale predictive modelling of environmental change. As Director of Ecological Data Analysis, Julianne assists in study design, data analysis, and reporting. She specializes in time series analyses, field experiments, biodiversity inventorying, occupancy and abundance modelling, hotspot mapping, and mixed effects modelling for understanding the relationships between management actions and observed ecological patterns.

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Applied Conservation Coordinator

Rian Burris

Rian Burris is the Applied Conservation Coordinator for Tangled Bank Conservation. Before starting with TBC, Rian earned a B.S. and M.A. in Biology from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. In his current role, Rian supports a wide range of conservation projects focused on imperiled wildlife and habitats throughout the eastern United States. His current fieldwork includes surveying for species of conservation concern, collecting environmental DNA samples, deploying and monitoring drift fence arrays and ARUs, and collecting macroinvertebrate samples. Rian also supports TBC’s conservation efforts by training project partners on standardized data collection methods and ensuring that field projects run smoothly. Rian has contributed to conservation projects involving species such as eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, alligator snapping turtles, bog turtles, and Hickory Nut Gorge green salamanders, among many others.

Grants & Administrator Coordinator

Nicole Willard

Nicole “Nikki” is the Grants and Administrative Coordinator for Tangled Bank Conservation. She has a B.S. in Microbiology from Mississippi University for Women and a MAT degree from East Carolina University. At TBC, she is the liaison between office, lab, and field operations. She assists with project and financial management, as well as in the lab with eDNA extractions, quants, and gel electrophoresis. She has over a decade of experience teaching biology and environmental science, along with extensive personal experience hiking, caving, and wilderness exploration.

Laboratory Scientist

Riley

Riley is a laboratory scientist for Tangled Bank. She received a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Spanish from Georgia College & State University in 2019, and spent several years working in diagnostic and industry labs before joining TBC. Although she has spent a significant amount of time extracting samples and running qPCR assays, her primary role in the lab is with NGS prep. She specializes in RADseq, metabarcoding, bait/hybrid capture, UCE’s, and more!

Laboratory Scientist

Hannah Nelson

Hannah Nelson is a Laboratory Scientist for Tangled Bank Conservation. She is currently working on completing a B.S from University of North Carolina. Hannah is skilled at extracting DNA from a wide variety of sample types including plants, snake sheds, fin clips, tissues, blood, eDNA filters, egg, scat, feathers, soil, swabs, and nail clippings. Hannah manages our sample collection at TBC which includes thousands of extracts, tissues, and specimens. She also performs microsatellite analyses, qPCR assays, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and sample quality control and troubleshooting.

Laboratory Scientist

Magenta Fougerat

Magenta has been a Laboratory Scientist at Tangled Bank Conservation since 2024. She holds a B.S in Biology with a concentration in Genetics from the University of North Carolina. Her interest in conservation began during her undergraduate research, where she gained experience in CRISPR genome editing, as well as SNP and microsatellite testing of both invasive and threatened local plant species such as the American Ginseng. She was also previously an Environmentalism Intern with the Biltmore Company to assist with surveys and the relocation of a Gray Bat colony. Currently, as a member of the TBC team, she applies her skills to DNA/RNA extractions, qPCR/PCR, Sanger, and NGS assays.

Conservation Scientist

Madeline Showers

Madeline Showers is a Conservation Scientist with Tangled Bank Conservation. She holds a B.S. in Natural Resource Science and Management from the University of Missouri. Her previous experience includes conducting field surveys for imperiled amphibians, such as the Eastern and Ozark hellbender, Carolina gopher frog, and Western toad. Madeline has also performed wetland community surveys and looks forward to expanding this work in her current role. At TBC, she conducts bioinventory projects across the southeastern United States using eDNA collection, acoustic monitoring, and remote camera traps. She is also involved in surveying rare herpetofauna and assessing the unique habitats that support them.