Skip to main content
Skip to main menu Skip to spotlight region Skip to secondary region Skip to UGA region Skip to Tertiary region Skip to Quaternary region Skip to unit footer

Slideshow

Alexandra Hofner

UGA Arch
Doctoral Candidate

As a Ph.D. candidate in Integrative Conservation and Anthropology, I specialize in primates, community perspectives, and participation in conservation. My academic focus is at the intersection of animal behavior, conservation biology, strategic communication, bioacoustics, social assessments, and science communication. I am committed to extending the impact of conservation efforts, as evidenced by my proficiency in science communication and stakeholder engagement. I aim to foster tangible and sustainable conservation outcomes. 

Leveraging my interdisciplinary expertise and practical experience in conservation leadership, my goal is to contribute meaningfully to international conservation endeavors through research, science communication, and collaboration. I lead educational initiatives, facilitate capacity-building programs, and orchestrate public outreach efforts in my current role. I take a collaborative approach to conservation, regularly contributing to research and conservation initiatives in Sri Lanka and across West, Central, and East Africa. My primary focus has been colobine monkeys, specifically langurs, and Red Colobus Monkeys. 

I have contributed to The Red Colobus Action Plan and international outreach initiatives with Re: Wild. Additionally, I have worked with wildlife sanctuaries in the range of Red Colobus to enact culturally sensitive conservation education programs. Rooted in a foundational background in biology and anthropology, I co-founded The Forest Collective, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving tropical forests through diverse research and community program development. Our organization specializes in connecting art and science conservation and leverages this to communicate strategically with conservation leaders and the general public to meet conservation goals. Through this organization, I oversee fundraising, implementing and maintaining locally run projects to protect forest species and ecosystems. 


I am determined to complete my studies and secure a job with an organization that prioritizes environmental conservation. I am particularly interested in working with a team that values diversity and integrates various disciplines, such as art, science, and cultural storytelling, to create meaningful and culturally relevant narratives that inspire people to become better stewards of the planet.

Research Interests:

My research interests are rooted in primatology, ethnoprimatology, and conservation biology. I am particularly interested in examining the intricate dynamics between humans and non-human primates within anthropogenic environments. My focus encompasses the utilization of bioacoustics as a methodological approach for comprehensively understanding primate behavior and ecology in understudied regions. 

Moreover, I am dedicated to employing habitat suitability modeling techniques to assess conservation strategies and prioritize conservation efforts effectively. Furthermore, my scholarly pursuits extend to conducting conservation assessments in tropical forest ecosystems, emphasizing the impacts of hunting on wildlife populations. I advocate for the integration of community participation in both conservation practice and research endeavors, recognizing its pivotal role in fostering sustainable conservation outcomes.

Selected Publications:

2023 Hofner, A.N., Carvalho, P., Matos, M.P. et al. The Coexistence of People and Bearded Capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) in a Nonindustrial Ecosystem: An Assessment of Tourist and Local Perceptions in the Coastal Area of Maranhão, Brazil. International Journal of Primatology                                                                            https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-023-00402-6 

2023 Erb, W. M., Barrow, E. J., Hofner, A. N., Lecorchick, J. L., Setia, T. M., & Vogel, E. R. (2023). Wildfire smoke linked to vocal changes in wild Bornean orangutans. iScience.                  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223011653

2021 Sykora-Bodie, S. T., Jones, J. L., Hastings, Z., Lomardi, E., Barnett, M., Davis, O. N., Hofner, A.N. ... & Whitten17, J. Graduate Student Perspectives on Transforming Academia, Conservation Science and Practice. https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/csp2.556

2021 Joshua, L, Christos A, Oates, O. F., Abanyam, P. A., Abwe, E, Ekole, N. Betobe, Robinson, O. Diotoh, Dunn, Eniang, Sylvie, E. A., Fonkwo, N., Hofner, A.N., Imong, I. S., Jost Robinson, C. A., Kadiri, B., Morgan, B., Okon, D., Ormsby, L Population Status of the Critically Endangered Preuss’s Red Colobus Monkey (Piliocolobus preussi Matschie 1900) and Recommendations for its Conservation, International Journal of Primatology, 42(2), 262-282.                                          https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10764-021-00202-w

2020 Hofner, A. N., Cronin, D.T., Imong, I., Gadsby, E.L. & Ndeloh, D. Cercopithecus erythrotis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T4218A17946043.                                                              https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/4218/17946043 

2020 Hofner, A.N, Jost Robinson, C. A., Hall, E. S., Capel, T., Astaras, C., and Linder, J. M. Surveying primates in northeastern Korup National Park, Cameroon: a longitudinal comparison. African Primates. 14, 35-44. http://www.primate-sg.org/african-primates-volume-14/ 

2019 Hofner, A.N. and Svensson, M. Pottos and Angwantibos Traded for Bushmeat. In Evolution, Ecology and Conservation of Lorises and Pottos. Cambridge University Press. UK 

2019 Hofner, A.N. Jost Robinson, C.A., Linder, J.M. and Robinson, O. D. Partners for Red Colobus: Protecting Preuss’s Red Colobus (Piliocolobus preussi) in Cameroon. African Primates, Vol. 13: 69-71. http://www.primate-sg.org/african-primates-volume-13/ 

2018     *Hofner, A.N., Jost Robinson, C.A. and K.A.I Nekaris. Preserving Preuss’s red colobus (Piliocolobus preussi); An analysis of hunting and changing perceptions of primates in Ikenge-Bakoko, Cameroon. International Journal of Primatology, 1-23, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10764-018-0020-3

2018 Erb, W.M, Barrow, E.J., Hofner, A.N., Utami-Atmoko, S.S., and Vogel, E.R. Wildfire smoke impacts activity and energetics of wild Bornean orangutans. Scientific Reports.                                                               https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-25847-1

2017 Hofner, A. N. Primate Conservation and Human Livelihoods. In: A. Fuentes (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Primatology. Wiley-Blackwell.                                                                   https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781119179313 

Education:

M.Sc. Oxford Brookes University, Primate Conservation (2016)

B.S. Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation, Canisius University Buffalo (2012)

 

Articles Featuring Alexandra Hofner

The Willson Center for Humanities and Arts Advisory Board awarded PhD candidate, Alexandra Hofner, a Graduate Research Award for her project, "Re-articulating pathways to human-wildlife coexistence in Sri Lanka's North Central Dry Zone." The Willson…

Events featuring Alexandra Hofner
Zoom

The Co-ecology of Risk: Niche Construction and Northern Purple-Faced Langur (Semnopithecus vetulus philbricki) anti-predator behavior in Sri Lanka

Zoom Meeting ID: 946 5573 4458

Please email Alexandra at a.hofner@uga.edu for the passcode.

Support Anthropology at UGA

Your support helps bring in speakers of note, provides student research funding, assists in student fieldwork and conference travel, and creates new resources to further enrich each learner's experience. Learn more about how you can support the Department of Anthropology.

Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.