Dr. Vishnupriya Sankararaman
Vishnupriya initially joined WCS-India in 2012 as a Research Assistant, after receiving a Master's degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the National Centre for Biological Sciences and WCS-India. She later received a PhD in Ecology from Penn State University in 2022. Her doctoral dissertation focused on understanding amphibian community structure across spatial scales in agroforest landscapes of the Western Ghats.
Her interests lie in understanding multi-dimensional and conflicting issues of biodiversity conservation and economic goals in agriculture. With her training in quantitative ecology, she uses modeling approaches such as community occupancy models, optimization models and decision-making tools in informing sustainable management practices for biodiversity conservation on private lands.
Vishnu is passionate about studying a wide range of species, including freshwater fishes, amphibians, and birds. She finds her greatest joy in walking along the leech infested streams of the Western Ghats, and so she continues to find ways to work in that landscape.
Preethi S
Preethi holds a Master's in Wildlife Biology from AVC College, Tamil Nadu. For her PG thesis, she worked on the Socio-ecological importance of the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest in Chennai. Over the last year, she has worked with BNHS on the Ringing and migration project at Point Calimere and Kanyakumari while showcasing the importance of alternative habitats, such as restored saltpans as viable spaces for migratory shorebirds to roost, feed and even breed. At WCS-India, she is working under the Western Ghats - Agroforests programme. She is an amateur wildlife photographer who loves travelling, baking, and making miniature sculptures.
Raagini Muddaiah
Raagini is a Zoology graduate who obtained her Master of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Queensland, Australia. She worked as a Project Associate at Wildlife Institute of India, carrying out a census for snow leopards in Uttarakhand. She has previously worked on projects involving rodent and feral cat control in Australia. Taking forward her interest in promoting indigenous species diversity, her current work at WCS-India focuses on biodiversity in agroforests of the Western Ghats.