Meet our Researchers: Grace Davis
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? Where have you previously studied or conducted research? I’m a behavioral ecologist and evolutionary biologist interested in how collective behavior and decision-making emerge in wild social animals. I’m especially curious about how individuals in structured social groups navigate ecological and social challenges—such
Meet our staff: Beatrice Chepkoech
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? What have been some of your previous roles? I come from Rumuruti, an area in Western Laikipia. I used to work as a room steward in a hotel in Rumuruti called El Paraiso. I had a friend who worked at Mpala,
Meet our Researchers: Ellie Trelfa-Stewart
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? Where have you previously studied or conducted research? During my undergraduate Zoology degree at Cardiff University (UK), I undertook a Professional Training Year focused on animal behaviour research. The project marked the start of my interest in behavioural ecology – a passion
Meet our Researchers: Hanna Ehrlich
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? Where have you previously studied or conducted research? I grew up in Chicago and went on to study epidemiology and disease ecology at Tufts University, Yale University, and the University of California, Davis. My research has taken me to a wide range
Meet our Staff: Eunice Chepkinyo Koech
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? What have been some of your previous roles? I come from Laikipia North and I was born and raised there. Before I joined Mpala, I worked with Baraka School, now called Daraja Academy, a hosting children from abroad. I worked there
Meet our Researchers: Matt Snider
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? Where have you previously studied or conducted research? I am from the United States but have had the great fortune of calling Mpala home for many years. I originally came to Mpala to manage the Grant's Gazelle Project in 2011, who I
Meet our Staff: Joseph Irura
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? What have been some of your previous roles? I'm an IT Infrastructure Engineer by profession born and raised in Nanyuki with over 10 years experience in IT support engineering, Systems Administration and Network Administration. I've worked in several tech companies in roles
Meet our Researchers: Anderson Larpei
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? Where have you previously studied or conducted research? I am from Laikipia County, Kenya, and I hold education in Wildlife Management from the Wildlife Research and Training Institute. My passion for conservation led me to work with organizations such as Ewaso Lions,
Meet our Researchers: Micah Wangai
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? Where have you previously studied or conducted research? I hail from Central Kenya, where i was raised near the Aberdare National Park. From an early age, i was inspired by nature films that sparked a deep curiosity about the natural world-a passion
Meet Our Researchers: Sophia Richter, University of Notre Dame
Tell us about your background. Where are you from? What brought you to Mpala? Where have you previously studied or conducted research? I am originally from Montana, where my love for nature first developed hiking and cross-country skiing across the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. In high school, I started my research journey when I joined