Ryan Luna, PhD
Department Chair of Natural Sciences
Kelly R. Thompson Professor in Quail Research and Professor of Wildlife Management
Borderlands Research Institute
Sul Ross State University
PO Box C-16
Alpine, TX 79832
RAS 111A
Office phone: (432) 837-8615
Fax: (432) 837-8406
Email: rluna@sulross.edu
Research Specialties
Habitat use and foraging ecology
Upland game bird ecology and management
Feral hog control and management
(Photo courtesy of Grady Allen)
Dr. Ryan S. LUNA
Dr. Ryan S. Luna is the Department Chair of Natural Sciences and the Kelly R. Thompson Professor in Quail Research with Borderlands Research Institute, is a Professor of Wildlife Management, and serves as Chair of the Department of Natural Resource Management at Sul Ross State University. He teaches curriculum associated with the Wildlife Management program, and is a faculty advisor to the Range and Wildlife Club. Ryan’s interests focus on habitat use and foraging ecology. His primary research pertains to upland game bird ecology and management, and control techniques for feral hogs.
Prior to joining BRI, Ryan obtained a PhD at Texas State University. While at Texas State, he was a Doctoral NSF Fellow working in a GK-12 program. When not in middle school classrooms getting students interested in science, Ryan was working on his dissertation which focused on body size, rumen-reticulum functions, and dietary nutrition of white-tailed deer. Prior to his doctoral work, he earned an MS from the University of Texas at San Antonio. During this period he worked for the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio performing behavioral assays on Rhesus Macaques. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University, Ryan worked as a Game Warden for New Mexico Department of Game and Fish until he returned to Texas to begin his master’s and doctoral work.
Research Specialties
Habitat use and foraging ecology
Upland game bird ecology and management
Feral hog control and management
Courses Taught
NRM 2302 Wildlife Resources
NRM 2303 Principles of Conservation Biology
NRM 3302 Forest Ecology
NRM 4305 Wildlife Management Techniques
NRM 4309/5409 Wildlife Population Dynamics
NRM 5302 Wildlife Diet and Nutrition
NRM 5302 Field Ecology
Selected Publications
Luna, R.S. 2013. Body size, rumen-reticulum functions, and dietary nutrition of white-tailed deer. Dissertation, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.