Recent East Texas A&M graduate Jilian Hudson made her way from Colorado to the Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research, where she works as a quail research technician in the Reyna Laboratory for Upland Gamebirds. She just graduated in Fall 2025 with a bachelor's in wildlife and conservation science from East Texas A&M University.

In her time with the Lyon Center, Jil worked on several projects in the Reyna Lab, and served as a team leader in the field. She also contributed to the upcoming 2026 State of the Gamebirds Report, which tracks 79 species of gamebirds.

She said Lyon Center Director Dr. Kelly Reyna helped her feel like anything is possible, including a master's degree.

“I've definitely learned the joy and eagerness to accomplish something,” she said. “Dr. Reyna never lets us get overwhelmed by big tasks. He just says, ‘We can do it, let's get it done.' So, that's something I've been able to apply to my life.”

“Before working here, I thought I'd finish my bachelor's, enter the workforce, and apply myself there,” Jil said. “And, now I have a plan. It's been helpful for seeing myself in particular roles and environments. Now, I'm confident that I can have a career as a wildlife biologist.”

Jil will return to the Reyna Lab in spring, as the G. W. Allen Gamebird Research Fellow, when she begins her master's program in biological sciences at ETAMU. She looks forward to her master's project.

“I will be working on a hatchling behavior study focusing on imprinting in Northern Bobwhite quail,” she said.

Her goal is to better understand how behavioral imprinting during critical windows of the neonatal period plays a role in adult predator avoidance behavior.

“It will be part of a larger study focusing on bobwhite quail restoration. Captive-reared quail survive around two weeks to two months in the wild,” Jil said. “Wild quail live six months or more. So, I want to see if it's possible to increase survival for captive-reared quail. I think it's possible, so let's do it!”