Our Alumni Make an Impact

Alumni Showcase

East Foundation alumni have gone on to become leaders in conservation, ranching, and natural resource management across Texas and beyond, applying their hands-on research experience to solve real-world challenges in land stewardship and wildlife conservation.

Amanda Veals

Amanda Veals is an Arizona native who grew up exploring the Sonoran Desert. She discovered her calling in wildlife conservation after initially pursuing biochemistry at the University of Arizona, where she later completed both her B.S. and M.S., studying gray fox ecology and rabies management. She then earned her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, researching endangered ocelot conservation and road mortality mitigation alongside East Foundation researchers, before accepting a postdoctoral position at Sul Ross State University’s Borderlands Research Institute. She now leads carnivore research, mentors graduate students and credits her success in balancing conservation with landowner concerns to her experience with the Foundation.

Max Sergeyev

Max Sergeyev was born in Belarus and raised in Chicago. He developed a passion for outdoor wildlife through hiking trips with his father in the western United States, which led him to pursue a career in wildlife ecology. After earning his undergraduate degree in chemistry and ecology from the University of Illinois and spending a year in the field, he completed a master’s at Brigham Young University studying elk in Utah, followed by a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University-Kingsville where he researched habitat use and coexistence patterns of ocelots, bobcats, and coyotes through GPS tracking, LiDAR technology, and thermal sensor analysis.

Mathew Kramm

Mathew Kramm is a San Antonio native raised with military family values. He began his academic journey studying public health at the University of Texas at San Antonio before earning his M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University, where he researched ivermectin use in white-tailed deer feed for cattle fever tick control on East Foundation’s El Sauz. Now completing his Doctor of Public Health in Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Texas A&M, Kramm credits his formative research experience at the Foundation, where he worked alongside his father, enabling him to bridge the connection between animal and human health in his study of infectious diseases.

Megan Granger

Megan Granger grew up throughout Texas and southern Louisiana and pursued her passion for wildlife by earning her B.S. and M.S. in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She worked on multiple research projects alongside East Foundation studying ocelots, white-tailed deer, and notably, nilgai population demographics and habitat use on El Sauz. Now serving as a Wildlife Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife in San Saba County, Texas, Granger credits her success to the diverse research opportunities and skills she developed while working on the Foundation’s expansive South Texas ranches.

Jacob Dykes

Jacob Dykes grew up hunting and fishing in Amory, Mississippi, and turned his outdoor passions into a career by earning his B.S. and M.S. in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture from Mississippi State University. He studied deer behavior and diet preferences before completing his Ph.D. in Wildlife Sciences at Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, conducting research with East Foundation on heat’s influence on deer and cattle behavior. Now an assistant professor in Texas A&M University’s Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management department and extension wildlife specialist, Jacob leads applied wildlife research and knowledge transfer to landowners, crediting the Foundation’s extensive ranches and conservation values for providing unique research opportunities.

Dillan Drabek

Dillian Drabek was raised on a small ranch near Schulenburg, Texas, and discovered his career path through an FFA wildlife contest that led to a summer job with East Foundation. He worked alongside us throughout his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Range and Wildlife Management at Texas A&M-Kingsville, studying grazing effects on forbs and plant species richness while gaining extensive experience in wildlife monitoring, prescribed burning, and animal captures. Now working as a USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service District Conservationist in Victoria, Texas, Dillian applies the land stewardship and conservation principles he learned during his years at the Foundation to help landowners improve their grazing and wildlife management practices.

Where are they now?

Samantha Leivers

Wildlife Management & Conservation; Wildlife Monitoring

Miranda Hopper

Wildlife Management & Conservation; Game Species Management

John Turner

Dante Sonaglia

Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management

Jaydon Rios

Animal Science Student at West Texas A&M

Shane Retzloff

Social Event Planner at Thomas Bradley & Associates

Alyssa Ramos

Ranch Management Intern

Andrew Polk

Ranch Management Intern

Will Oliver

Ranch Management Intern

Beau Navarre

Ranch Management Intern

Dru Lust

Ranch Management Intern

Ryan Lopez

Ranch Management Intern

Dakota Kempken

Ranch Management Intern

Zach Johnson

Ranch Management Intern

Austin Ingram

Zane Herrin

Ranch Management Intern

Samuel Free

Ranch Management Intern

Molli Foxley

Ranch Management Intern

Rider Combs

Ranch Management Intern

Foster Burchett

Ranch Management Intern

Logan Anthony

Ranch Management Intern

Daniel Taylor

Biological Science Technician at the Wildlife Genetics National Wildlife Research Center, USDA-APHIS-WS

Maggie Sinner

Senior Technician Department with Environmental Consulting Technology, Inc.

Kylie Perez

Wildlife Management & Conservation; Wildlife Monitoring

Lindsay Martinez

Wildlife Management & Conservation; Endangered Species Management; Range and Wildlife Intern

Ana Krainyk

Wildlife Management & Conservation; Endangered Species Management

Allie Kohler

Wildlife Management & Conservation; Wildlife Monitoring

Jacob Dykes

Wildlife Management & Conservation; Game Species Management

Aleyda Galán

Wildlife Management & Conservation; Wildlife Monitoring

Mary Peterson

Wildlife Management & Conservation; Game Species Management

Career Possibilities

Building Conservation Leaders

Where can you go after an internship, technician position, or as a graduate student with East Foundation? There are endless career possibilities in cattle operations, natural resource conservation, and education. We encourage our alumni to pursue opportunities in several related fields.

Ranching career Possibilities

  • Ranch Manager – Oversees daily operations, planning, and strategic decisions for cattle and land management
  • Livestock Specialist – Focuses on herd health, genetics, and production
  • Range Management Specialist – Maintains grasslands and monitors grazing patterns
  • Ranch Business Administrator – Handles financials, contracts, and business planning
  • Facilities & Equipment Manager – Maintains infrastructure, equipment, and improvements
  • Natural Resource Manager – Balances livestock, wildlife, and habitat needs
  • Feed/Nutrition Specialist – Develops feeding programs and manages supplementation

Science career Possibilities

  • Wildlife Biologist – Studies wildlife populations and habitat relationships
  • Range Scientist – Researches grassland ecology and management strategies
  • Conservation Biologist – Works on preserving species and habitats
  • GIS Specialist – Maps and analyzes spatial data for land management
  • Research Program Coordinator – Manages scientific studies and field operations
  • Veterinary Scientist – Specializes in livestock and wildlife health
  • Data Analyst – Processes research data and monitors trends

Education and Outreach career Possibilities

  • Education Program Director – Develops and oversees educational initiatives
  • Youth Education Coordinator – Focuses on K-12 programs and field trips
  • Conservation Education Specialist – Teaches about wildlife and habitat conservation
  • Agricultural Extension Agent – Provides education and resources to landowners
  • Outreach Coordinator – Connects programs with communities and stakeholders
  • Museum/Nature Center Educator – Teaches public about regional ecology
  • Science Communication Specialist – Shares research findings with various audiences

ongoing Projects

Learn About Our Ongoing Projects

We’re dedicated to building an innovative and applicable science program. Check out what we’re researching in south Texas.

Contact Our Education Team

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