Graduate Thesis – (PDF document)
Biography
Brenda F. Fonju is a Master’s of Science candidate in New Mexico Highlands University who made significant contributions to the completion of a thesis; Camera Trapping of the coyote and other mammals on the Wind River Ranch. Brenda is Cameroonian by nationality and was born in Fontem sub-division, West Africa. While in Cameroon, she lived in a family of “middle class” socioeconomic standard and has a father who is a traditional ruler of the Fonjumetaw rural area and a lovely mother whom she thanks very much to have contributed in building the person she currently is. Her twin sister and younger brother are currently abroad and are determined to achieve high academic heights.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Buea in Cameroon and decided to pursue her studies abroad. When she got her admission into the Masters program in Environmental Science & management in the Forestry department she served duties as graduate assistant in undergraduate classes. Lectures and laboratory sessions included Biological perspectives, General Biology, Forests and ecosystems. As a graduate student she also assisted in conducting a geologic field survey on Geophysical carbon traps in the Galisteo Basin, Santa Fe N.M. She has participated in conducting other projects like the GPS/GIS water well monitoring survey while on internship with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and volunteer activities on recycling while serving duties as senator at Highlands U.
Brenda is currently looking to further her studies with a PhD in environmental studies to begin by 2012 as this will be resourceful and useful in fulfilling her plans to return to Africa and contribute to the current quest to conserve the western lowland gorilla. Her intention is to use Camera traps as a method to monitor richness of these species along side a mark recapture technique to ensure the long-term survival of the great apes.
