Posted on Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Dr. Shahroukh Mistry, Westminster College assistant professor of biology, was elected co-chair of the Mammal Technical Committee for the Pennsylvania Biological Survey.
The committee acts as a scientific advisory body to the state government on issues related to the protection and management of mammals.
Mistry, who has done extensive research on bat species, also attended the Northeast Bat Working Group meeting Feb. 20-22 in Blacksburg, Va.
Membership of the group includes individuals from academic institutions and federal and state agencies in the Northeast who are interested in issues related to the management and conservation of bat species.
"This year was particularly interesting because of the discussions relating to the recent high mortality among hibernating bats in the Northeast, from what is known as the White-nose Syndrome," Mistry said.
Mistry, who has been with Westminster since 2003, earned undergraduate and master's degrees in zoology from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India, a master's in animal behavior from the University of Tennessee, and his Ph.D. in ecology from the University of New Mexico. His research interests focus on issues related to conservation biology and his research projects have included studies in India, Kenya, and Mexico. He is on the scientific advisory board of Bat Conservation International and is a member of the IUCN Chiroptera Specialist Group.
Contact Mistry at (724) 946-7210 or e-mail mistrys@westminster.edu for additional information.
