Program supports students conducting bat research around the world, expanding the global network of bat conservationists
02.19.26
Austin, TX (February 19, 2026) – Bat Conservation International (BCI) has announced its 2026 Student Scholars—16 graduate students advancing global bat conservation with innovative research projects across 13 countries, from cave systems in Georgia and Spain to agricultural landscapes in Canada, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. Through BCI’s Student Research Scholarship program, these scholars are addressing urgent conservation challenges, including habitat loss, climate change, light pollution, agricultural expansion, and human–bat conflict.
Bats are incredibly diverse and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Over 1,500 bat species inhabit the Earth, serving as vital partners in ecosystem health and biodiversity. They eat insects, pollinate a wide array of plants, and disperse seeds in tropical forests, providing immeasurable ecosystem services to people and the planet. However, bats are facing unprecedented threats to their survival. Today, roughly 200 bat species are threatened and endangered, while many others are listed as Data Deficient (meaning there’s not enough information yet to assess their status).
Since the program began, BCI has awarded more than $1.5 million in funding for student scholarships, supporting 432 students across 84 countries. This year’s scholars are conducting research in Benin, Brazil, Canada, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Serbia, and the United States, with new projects expanding BCI’s reach into the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Georgia, and Spain.
“I am continually inspired by the caliber and diversity of students this program supports; this year’s scholars represent a truly global community of emerging leaders in conservation,” says Amanda Adams, PhD, BCI’s Director of Research Coordination. “By prioritizing conservation evidence, equity, and professional development, the Student Scholarship Program is not only supporting individual students—it is strengthening the future of bat conservation worldwide.”
BCI’s Student Scholars program provides financial support and professional development to M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, growing a global network of bat researchers and conservationists and reinforcing the role of evidence-based research in conservation decision-making. Projects are vetted by BCI, and scholars share their findings with local communities, inform policy, and supply data needed to protect threatened and data-deficient bat species in regions where conservation information is often limited.
2026 BCI STUDENT SCHOLARS:
Brylle Vince Abrea
Special Recognition: Conservation Evidence Special Recognition
Project Country: Philippines
Damilare Ayokunle
Special Recognition: Conservation Evidence Special Recognition
Project Country: Nigeria
Martin Yair Cabrera Garrido
Project Country: Mexico
Adéchègoun Mèschac Bertrand Chabi
Project Country: Benin
Alexandria Cosby
Project Country: Canada
Gabriel de Mello
Special Recognition: Conservation Evidence Special Recognition
Project Country: Brazil
Kossi Ambroise Degnon
Project Country: Benin
Abraham Desalegn
Special Recognition: Conservation Evidence Special Recognition
Project Country: Ethiopia
Beatriz Dybas da Natividade
Special Recognition: Women in Science Award
Project Country: Dominican Republic
Kristin Dyer
Special Recognition: Thomas H. Kunz Innovation in Bat Research Honor
Project Country: United States
Ana Graovac
Project Country: Serbia
Sarah Heffelfinger
Project Country: United States
Barbra Ingaitsa Imbwaga
Special Recognition: Equitable Conservation Award
Project Country: Kenya
David López-Bosch
Special Recognition: Conservation Evidence Special Recognition
Project Country: Spain
Sophio Maglakelidze
Project Country: Georgia
Henrique Negrello-Oliveira
Special Recognitions: Verne & Marion Read Bat Conservation Honor; Conservation Evidence Special Recognition
Project Country: Brazil
2026 HONORABLE MENTION STUDENTS:
Alicia Roistacher
Project Title: Examining immune system responses to life-history strategies to inform conservation actions under a OneHealth approach
Ashley Hammer
Project Title: Application of Novel Toxicological Testing Methods to Inform Management of Abandoned Mine Lands in the Black Hills, South Dakota
Carlos Russi
Project Title: Bringing roosts to the habitat fragmentation debate: what can Amazonian bats teach us?
Daniela Bolla
Project Title: Impacts of illegal gold mining on bats’ health in the Brazilian Amazon
Jorge Rivero
Project Title: Spatial distribution of the insectivorous bat assemblage in response to landscape heterogeneity and prey availability in the rural landscape of Lima, Pacific Coastal Desert
Lucía Sánchez
Project Title: The tenants upstairs: Social networks and foraging ecology of house-roosting molossid bats
Nikole Castleberry
Project Title: From Fear to Stewardship: Community-Based Approaches to Bat Conservation in Kenya
Sarah Ciarrachi
Project Title: Nutrients in Motion: Linking Diet, Habitat, and Reproductive Success in Grand Canyon Bats
PROGRAM BACKGROUND
BCI’s Student Research Scholarship program increases research capacity and conservation efforts for bats by funding graduate students whose projects align with global bat conservation priorities. The program aims to improve scientific knowledge for the conservation of threatened and data-deficient bat species and to generate robust evidence for conservation actions that protect bats and the ecosystems they help sustain.
To learn more about the Student Scholars program, visit batcon.org/scholars.
About Bat Conservation International
Bat Conservation International is a global conservation organization dedicated to ending bat extinctions. Our team works worldwide to conserve caves, restore critical habitats in danger, and ensure the survival of the world’s bat species. For more information, visit batcon.org.
Media Contact: Kathryn Slater
Tel: 512.327.9721 Ext. 463
Email: [email protected]
