Marcelo Jorge
Assistant Professor of Wildlife Habitat Management
Dr. Jorge’s research focuses on wildlife management, particularly the impacts of habitat management on game species populations and the effects of disease on wildlife. He employs both passive and active sampling techniques to study how diseases influence wildlife behavior and population dynamics, with the goal of informing effective management strategies. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, and raised across the Eastern United States, Dr. Jorge previously worked at several American Zoological Association-accredited institutions as an animal keeper and trainer. He earned a Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from Virginia Tech, where his thesis explored the effects of fire on wildlife communities in North Florida. He completed his Ph.D. in Wildlife Sciences at the University of Georgia, with a dissertation that examined the impact of chronic wasting disease on white-tailed deer populations in northwest Arkansas. Dr. Jorge’s research interests include wildlife habitat management, wildlife disease, and predator-prey interactions, which he investigates through an applied science framework to support land managers and stakeholders.
Education
Education
Ph.D., Wildlife, University of Georgia. 2025
M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech. 2019
B.S., Zoology, Miami University. 2012
B.A. Psychology, Miami University. 2012
Professional Appointments
Professional Appointments
Associate Professor of Wildlife Habitat Management, University of Georgia, 2025-Present
Postdoctoral Researcher, Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, 2025
Awards & Honors
Awards & Honors
E. L. Cheatum Award – 2025
Southeast Deer Study Group Outstanding Oral Presentation Award: 3rd place – 2025
Southeast Deer Study Group Outstanding Oral Presentation Award: 2nd place – 2023
Maher/Zouhary Award – 2012
Publications
Publications
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uqgVCYIAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
2024
· Castello, L., Sorice M., Martins E.G., Almeida, M., Bastos, G.C.C., Cardoso, L.G., Clauzet, M., Dopona, A.P., Ferreria, B., Haimovici, M., Jorge, M. H., Mendoca, J., Avila-da-Silva, A.O., Roman, A.P.O., Ramires, M., Smith, E., Villwock, L.M., and Lopes P. F. M. 2024. Local knowledge reconstructs historical resource use. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
2022
• Jorge, M.H., Garrison, E.P., Conner, L.M. and Cherry, M.J. 2022. Avian species richness in a frequently burned ecosystem: a link between pyrodiversity and biodiversity, Landscape Ecology. 37(4), 983-996.
2021
• Jorge M.H., Ford W.M., Sweeten S.E., Freeze S.R., True M.C., and St. Germain M.J. 2021.Winter roost selection of Lasiurine tree bats in a pyric landscape.
PLoSONE16(2): e0245695. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245695
• Jorge, M.H., Sweeten, S.E., True, M.C., and Ford W.M. 2021. Fire, land cover, and temperature drivers of bat activity in winter. fire ecology 17:19.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-021-00105-4.
2020
• Jorge, M. H., Garrison, E. P., Conner, L. M., and Cherry, M. J. 2020. Fire and land cover drive predator abundances in a pyric landscape. Forest Ecology and
Management, 461, 117939.
Technical Reports
2020
· Diggins, C.A., Jorge, M.H., Cherry, M.J, W.M. Ford. 2020. Seasonal and Spatial Pre- White-nose Syndrome Bat Distribution Surveys at Capitol Reef National Park, National Park Service Task Agreement P18AC00724 Final Report May 2020
· Diggins, C.A., Jorge, M.H., Cherry, M.J, W.M. Ford. 2020. Pre-White-nose Syndrome Bat Distribution on Northeastern Arizona National Park Service Lands, National Park Service Task Agreement P18AC00769 Final Report May 2020
2019
· Jorge, M.H., Cherry, M.J. 2019. Linking Wildlife Communities to Fire and Forest Management, Final Report to Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Proposal No. 16212.
Other Links
Other Links
Professional Website: Google Scholar
