November 29, 2023
Tufts Now, Developing Diagnostics for a Deadly Elephant Disease
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus is the leading cause of death for Asian elephant calves and is a danger to young African elephants as well. Tufts researcher Marjorie Bercier is developing a test to help catch it sooner
March 8, 2023
Tufts Now, New AI-Powered Drone Technology Aids Elephant Conservation
Tufts University Professor Karen Panetta is developing drones equipped with a novel artificial intelligence system to track elephants in East Africa.
October 8, 2022
EE Power Market Insights, Electrical Engineer Uses Imaging and AI Algorithms to Aid Elephant Conservation Efforts
Tufts University Professor and Dean of Graduate Education Karen Panetta uses AI algorithms, machine learning, and more to improve elephant conservation efforts.
May 20, 2022
Tufts Now, How Are Animals Added to the Endangered Species List?
Dr. Allen Rutberg, co-director of Jumbos for Jumbos: Tufts Elephant Conservation Alliance (TECA), is a wildlife policy expert at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and explains what factors are considered when listing a species as threatened or endangered in the U.S.
April 9, 2022
Tufts Now, Profiles in Inspiration: Commencement 2022 Spotlights: Victor Oludare, EG22
“My interest in conservation, in particular, started when I assisted my advisor in creating demos to teach non-Engineering students at Tufts how AI could be used for conservation. Our goal was to write and develop an algorithm to allow computers to differentiate between elephant sounds and human sounds. This got me started studying elephants; it was the first time I paid any attention to elephants. I got excited learning about how intelligent they are and the fact that they have feelings that are not easily recognizable to us. It inspired me to join Tufts Elephant Conservation Alliance, in fact. ”
Victor has been working in TECA member Dr. Karen Panetta’s Vision and Sensing Systems Laboratory within Tufts University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department on the Drones for Conservation project. The drones enable Tufts’ students and researchers to monitor elephants, collect enhanced visual data for identification, map elephant populations and alert rangers to the presence of threats.
Read more about Victor here https://now.tufts.edu/2022/04/09/victor-oludare-eg22
May 5, 2021
Congratulations to our 2021 TECA Elephant Conservation Fellowship Students!
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Elephant Conservation Fellowship Awards! Stay tuned for more about their projects in the coming year…
Laura Coughlin
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, DVM/MPH Candidate 2023
Establishing serum biomarkers of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in African and Asian elephants
Lucy Megan
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, DVM Candidate 2021
Evaluation of plasma D-dimer concentration in healthy adult Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and African elephants (Loxodonta africana)
April 7, 2021
Tufts University’s Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology held its annual research retreat at the beautiful Tufts School of the Museum of Fine Arts.