Rodriguez Human Dimensions Lab at Clemson University

08/06/2026

It’s time to celebrate another important accomplishment in the RHDW lab!

Yesterday, doctoral student Zebria Hicks successfully passed her written and oral comprehensive exams and is now a doctoral CANDIDATE!!

Zebria completed her Masters in the lab in 2023 and decided to stay on to complete a PhD. And we are so glad that she did!

Congratulations Zebria!!

07/06/2026

Doing a search for articles about the work done in the Rodriguez lab over the years and finding LOTS of articles we weren't aware of. But this is how the news works...one article gets published and another outlet picks it up. Here's a piece on protecting pets from coyotes from 2018 that was posted by PetMD!

News headlines have highlighted the tragedy that can unfold if a hungry coyote crosses paths with a small, unattended pet. But how common are coyote attacks in urban and suburban areas? Find out whether coyotes are a danger to pets and how to keep your pets safe.

06/19/2026

Masters student Tori Riebel attended the Pathways Human Dimensions conference in Oxford England to present the second chapter of her thesis!

04/08/2026

New paper out of the lab! This is the first of four coming from Dr. Angelica Solano's dissertation work! It was wonderful to work with one of the foremost jaguar experts, Dr. Esteban Payan! Email Angelica or Shari if you want a copy!

12/07/2025

It’s been a while since anyone in the Rodriguez Lab has taught a class during the fall semester. Since Halloween was on the menu this semester, many students in Human Dimensions and Conservation Biology participated in a halloween celebration focused on currently endangered and recently extinct species. And the students brought it! Represented are species like the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey (CR), the okapi (EN), the Christmas Island Pipistrelle (EX), the rusty-patched bumble bee (CR), and the Panamanian golden frog (CR). We also had quite a few tigers, sharks, turtles, macaws, and penguins - all endangered (EN), critically endangered (CR) or extinct (EX). In addition to the costume, the students submitted a document about the species they dressed up as, which was very enlightening given that I (Dr. Shari) wasn’t acquainted with at least half of those species. I’m terribly grateful for this wonderfully fun and engaged group of students!

10/18/2025

Masters student Tori Riebel is at it again! This past week she was able to present her black bear research at the Cooperators Meeting between SCDNR and our department, Forestry and Environmental Conservation!

10/12/2025

Recently Tori Riebel, Masters student in the Rodriguez Lab, attended and presented her research at the 7th International Human-Bear Conflicts Workshop in Kalispell, MT. Tori was 1 of 350 bear professionals from 20 different countries, representing 7 of the 8 species globally, who gathered to talk about bear conservation and management. Tori is no stranger to bear topics. She’s worked on black bear issues for the majority of her career!

08/11/2025

https://news.clemson.edu/persistence-and-passion-drive-clemson-graduates-work-in-jaguar-conservation/

Passion for carnivores drives Clemson graduate’s Ph.D. research into reducing human-jaguar conflict and strengthening conservation in Colombia.

08/08/2025

Huge congrats to Dr. Angelica Solano!!!

08/05/2025

Here's another piece on human-bear conflict in South Carolina with input from the Rodriguez Lab!

Black bear sightings are rising with growth and development in the mountains and coast, but with little danger. Here’s what to do and how to stay safe.