معرفی
Dr. Sonia M. Hernandez is a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor at the University of Georgia, holding a joint appointment in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the College of Veterinary Medicine since 2008. She earned her DVM from Louisiana State University (1996), a PhD in Ecology from UGA (2008), and Diplomate status in Zoological Medicine (ACZM, 2002). Her research focuses on wildlife diseases, particularly how human activities impact wildlife health and biodiversity conservation. She teaches courses in wildlife disease investigation, conservation medicine, and ornithology.
Her awards include the Fulbright Scholarship (2021), UGA Alumni Excellence in Teaching Award (2021), and the University-wide Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Teaching (2017). Dr. Hernandez leads the Wildlife Disease Lab and co-hosts the Wildlife Diseases Association’s annual conference. She advises students in graduate, veterinary, and undergraduate programs, emphasizing urban wildlife health and pathogen dynamics.
Research interests include: 1) anthropogenic influences on wildlife disease ecology, 2) One Health approaches to zoonotic pathogens, and 3) conservation medicine strategies for endangered species. Her lab collaborates internationally, notably in Costa Rica, and hosts training programs like the Conservation Medicine & Biology course.
Key grants support work on urban wildlife health, avian pathogen dynamics, and amphibian conservation. Her lab’s activities include field studies, epidemiological modeling, and policy recommendations for wildlife health management. She mentors >30 students annually across disciplines, emphasizing fieldwork and interdisciplinary collaboration.
