Life History, Ecology, and Conservation of VertebratesMy research broadly focuses on (1) understanding vertebrate life history and ecology and (2) using this information to guide conservation and management decisions on population, species, or community levels. I use ecological and natural history data to answer hypotheses related to disturbance ecology, thermal ecology, population connectivity, reintroduction ecology, and impacts of natural or anthropogenic stressors on reptile, amphibian, or avian populations. I focus on developing local research projects in Mississippi/Alabama as well as projects at Kaxil Kiuic, the Millsaps Biocultural Preserve in Yucatan, Mexico.
My teaching interests closely mirror my research interests, so that one complements the other. As a field biologist, I value experiential learning and believe it is essential to understand ecological concepts or organisms. When students use the five senses to experience their environment, this solidifies the topics discussed in lecture. Such experiences could come through taking field trips, identifying specimens, class field projects, and learning field techniques. I currently teach Zoology, Wetland Ecology, Herpetology, Vertebrate Zoology, and Ornithology in the Biology Department at Millsaps College. If you are a student interested in working in the lab or wish to collaborate on a project, please contact me at will.selman@millsaps.edu. 
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Recent NewsAugust 2018
-Manuscript published on juvenile diamondback terrapin habitat use in the journal Herpetological Conservation and Biology. -Presented on Pearl River Graptemys research at the 16th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises in Fort Worth, TX. July 2018 -Three articles published about the environmental, flooding, and pollution concerns of the One Lake Project in Jackson, MS. The articles were entitled, One Lake Project Will Become 'One Trashy Lake' (Clarion Ledger), A Pearl of Great Price: The Value of a Flowing Pearl River in Jackson (Jackson Free Press), and The Big Flood of the Pearl, Not If, but When (Jackson Free Press). -Guest on the radio program, "Creature Comforts", on Mississippi Public Broadcasting to discuss turtles of Mississippi, wetlands, and the Pearl River. -Manuscript on Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) distribution and abundance in Louisiana accepted for publication in Southeastern Naturalist. May 2018 -Manuscript published on plastron pigmentation variation in diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in Louisiana in Herpetologica (with co-authors B. Reinke and S. Pearson). -Manuscript published on geographic, seasonal, and sexual variation in the diet of Graptemys flavimaculata in Copeia (with co-author P. Lindeman). OLD NEWS |