Romy Rice

Current Focus

I am a postdoctoral researcher with the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, based in Maio, Cabo Verde. I work as a multidisciplinary conservation biologist, integrating biodiversity conservation, ecology and evolution, and environmental education. My current research focuses on the breeding ecology of the Cream-coloured courser, breeding dispersal of the Kentish Plover, and the impact of using these species’ conservation in secondary school education. I coordinate fieldwork for the Cream-coloured courser, manage logistics for international teams, collaborate closely with the Maio Biodiversity Foundation (FMB), and deliver educational outreach. I also use long-term datasets on Kentish Plovers and Cream-coloured coursers to investigate evolutionary questions.

Previous Research and Other Interests

Before my PhD, I worked as a research assistant for the ÉLVONAL project, based between Debrecen, Hungary, and Maio, Cabo Verde. In collaboration with FMB, I collected breeding ecology and behavioural data on the Cream-coloured courser and contributed to the first detailed research documenting its ecology. I also delivered outreach activities for local communities and schools, which sparked my interest in evaluating the effectiveness of conservation education, especially in contexts like the Global South, where biodiversity is high but resources for education are often limited.

During my PhD, I investigated the impact of integrating local conservation projects into education. I developed and coordinated research on the breeding ecology of the Cream-coloured courser and explored its ecological and conservation implications. I then translated this research into schools by designing and implementing place-based educational interventions in primary and secondary schools. I found that, regardless of content, teaching method, or setting, students’ knowledge of local biodiversity and conservation improved, but environmental attitudes did not. This finding inspired my current focus on the interdisciplinary field of conservation-based education and drives my efforts to identify strategies that create meaningful changes in environmental attitudes.

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Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • 2020-2025: PhD in Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, University of Bath, United Kingdom

  • 2014-2018: Bachelors in Biology, University of Bath, United Kingdom

Appointments

  • 2019-2020: Research Assistant, University of Debrecen, Hungary

  • 2018-2019: Maio Biodiversity Foundation, Cape Verde

Publications

Rice, R., Hejmadi, M., Silva, H., Kelsh, R.N., Agues, J., Engel, N., & Székely, T., (2025). The impact of teaching method and setting on environmental education in West Africa. Manuscript in preparation

Rice, R., McDonald, G., Kosztolányi, A., Engel, N., & Székely, T., (2025). Drivers of fine-scale breeding dispersal in an island shorebird. Manuscript in preparation.

Rice, R., Hejmadi, M., Silva, H., Kelsh, R.N., Agues, J., Engel, N., & Székely, T. (2024). Long-lasting effect of classroom environmental education in Maio, Cabo Verde. Oryx, submitted on 10/10/2024.

Engel, N., Sandercock, B.K., Kosztolányi, A., Adrião, A., Tavares, A., Rice, R., & Székely, T. (2024). Climatic variation influences annual survival of an island-breeding tropical shorebird. Journal of Avian Biology, 2024(5-6), p.e03191. DOI: 10.1111/jav.03191 📄

Székely, T., Carmona‐Isunza, M. C., Engel, N., Halimubieke, N., Jones, W., Kubelka, V., Rice, R., Tanner, C. E., Tóth, Z, Valdebenito, J. O., Wanders, K. & McDonald, G. C. (2023). The causes and implications of sex role diversity in shorebird breeding systems. Ibis. DOI: 10.1111/ibi.13277 📄

Rice, R., Hejmadi, M., Silva, H., Kelsh, R. N., Agues, J., Engel, N., & Székely, T. (2023). Environmental education in the classroom: pilot study in Cabo Verde suggests differing impacts on students' local knowledge and environmental attitudes. Oryx. DOI: 10.1017/S0030605323000303 📄

Engel, N., McDonald, G., Sandercock, B. K., Rice, R., Moreno, R., Ratão, S., & Székely, T. (2023). Long-term decline in nest survival of a ground-nesting shorebird on a tropical island. Global Ecology and Conservation, 45, e02522. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02522 📄

Engel, N., Végvári, Z., Rice, R., Kubelka, V., & Székely, T. (2020). Incubating parents serve as visual cues to predators in Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). PLoS One, 15(7), e0236489. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236489 📄

Rice, R., Valdebenito, J. O., Ottensmann, M., Engel, N., Adrião, A., & Székely, T. (2020). Breeding ecology of the Cream-coloured Courser in Cape Verde. Ostrich, 91(1), 65-73. DOI : 10.2989/00306525.2019.1704900 📄

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