Maryland-Delaware Chapter
The Wildlife Society
Members of the Board
Fall 2025 - Spring 2026
President
Dan Herrera
Current Employer: North Carolina Museum of
Natural Sciences
Position: Postdoctoral Researcher & Adjunct Professor
Contact Information: mddechapter@gmail.com
Background: Dan uses camera traps and hierarchical modeling to study predator-prey dynamics and habitat selection in North American mammals. While his background is in urban wildlife, he has recently expanded his research interests to include less developed landscapes with an emphasis on mature and old-growth forest habitats. In addition to his postdoctoral studies, Dan is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a commissioner on the Maryland Wildlife Advisory Commission.
President-Elect
Daylan Sears
Current Employer: University of Maryland, College Park
Position: Graduate Student
Contact Information: mddechapter@gmail.com
Background: Daylan is a master’s student at the University of Maryland working in Jennifer Mullinax’s ASWEL Lab, where he investigates black bear spatial ecology with an emphasis on habitat selection and landscape connectivity. He brings several seasons of field experience, primarily in avian research, including work on ptarmigan in Colorado and ring-necked pheasants in North Dakota, as well as experience in environmental education. Outside of his academic and field commitments, he spends his time birding and hunting.
Vice President
Matthew Payne
Current Employer: University of Maryland, College Park
Position: Graduate Student
Contact Information: mddechapter@gmail.com
Background: Matthew is a graduate student in Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland. He received his bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from Frostburg State University. Before starting graduate school, Matthew spent time conducting species richness and abundance studies at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. He is also working as a naturalist at Bladensburg Waterfront Park.
Currently, Matthew is part of a white-tailed deer study at the University of Maryland. The primary goal of this study is to understand how white-tailed deer utilize space and move throughout urban landscapes in Maryland and D.C. Additionally, Matthew is also conducting a study that uses trail cameras to get a better understanding of how human foot traffic on trails impacts mammal behavior in urban parks.
Treasurer
Carson Coriell
Current Employer: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Position: Game Data and Research Project Leader
Contact Information: mddechapter@gmail.com
Background: Carson is a Maryland native with a long-standing passion for environmental science and wildlife research. He has served on the MD/DE Chapter board since 2017 in roles including president, vice president, awards committee chair, and currently treasurer for a second term. Over the years, Carson has contributed to several large research initiatives focused on controlling zoonotic diseases such as Lyme disease and Avian Influenza.
He earned his M.S. in applied spatial wildlife ecology from UMD in 2024, where he studied small mammal populations and their connection to tick-borne diseases in urban environments. In his current role with DNR, Carson manages data and develops
population models for multiple game species across the state. He remains committed to advancing wildlife research and supporting the mission of TWS.
Carson enjoys engaging with students and colleagues and is always open to conversation. Do not hesitate to say hello at an upcoming conference!
MD Member at Large
Patrice Klein
Affiliation: USDA Forest Service
Position: Emerita, National Program Lead for Fish and Wildlife Health, and Attending Veterinarian - Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Contact Information: mddechapter@gmail.com
Background: Dr. Klein served as the USDA Forest Service (USFS) National Program Lead for Fish and Wildlife Health and a long-time leader in One Health, animal welfare, and wildlife disease prevention. Over her 30-year career, she has served in key federal roles—including with the USFS, USDA APHIS, the U.S. Public Health Service, FDA, and as a U.S. Embassy Science Fellow in Peru—advancing biosecurity, wildlife health, and One Health interdisciplinary collaboration across human, animal, and environmental systems.
She began her career as a wildlife veterinarian and pathologist at the USFWS/USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD and has continued to contribute through research, wildlife rehabilitation leadership, and authorship of state agency guidelines on wildlife rehabilitation and zoonotic disease. Dr. Klein holds advanced degrees and training from the University of Pennsylvania, St. John’s University, Johns Hopkins University, and UC Davis, and is board-certified in veterinary preventive medicine (ACVPM) and poultry veterinary medicine (ACPV). Her service also includes extensive federal disaster-response deployments as leader of a veterinary response team.
Past President
Joshua Tabora
Current Employer: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Position: Furbearer Biologist
Contact Information: mddechapter@gmail.com
Background: Joshua received a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Wildlife Management (2017) from Frostburg State University, and has worked for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources since 2015 in several capacities. He currently serves as the Furbearer Biologist for the state of Maryland. Joshua enjoys hunting, fishing, trapping and woodworking in Allegany county, and currently resides in the city of Cumberland.
Secretary
Maddy Ondo
Current Employer: Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service
Position: Wildlife Response Technician
Contact Information: mddechapter@gmail.com
Background: Maddy has served on the MD/DE Chapter board since 2023, and is currently in her second term as secretary. Maddy graduated from Washington College in 2020 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. She has contributed to wildlife research and monitoring efforts across the country from Southern California to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
In her current role as a wildlife response technician for Maryland Department of Natural Resources, she administers deer management permits, responds to reports of sick or injured wildlife, assists with wildlife monitoring and research efforts as well as assists in land management efforts on the lower Eastern Shore. Maddy fosters her passion and knowledge of wildlife and natural resource management through her career and as a TWS member.
DE Member at Large
Sierra Patterson
Current Employer: Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever
Position: Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist II
Contact Information: mddechapter@gmail.com
Background: Sierra developed a passion for wildlife early on and went on to earn her B.S. in Wildlife Biology from West Texas A&M University in 2020. During her time there, she was active in the student chapter of The Wildlife Society and gained extensive field experience through coursework, research opportunities, and a summer internship with Texas Parks and Wildlife at the Matador Wildlife Management Area.
Following graduation, Patterson worked with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Breeding Bird Survey team and later with the Maryland Park Service and Maryland Conservation Corps on habitat management projects. Now in Delaware, she focuses on improving wildlife and early-successional habitat for Northern Bobwhite and other species. As Delaware Member at Large, she aims to represent and support the state’s conservation community by connecting residents, partners, and professionals with the MD/DE Chapter.