Humberto Perotto
Since joining the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management in 2023, Humberto Perotto, Ph.D, has developed a state-of-the-art landscape ecology and drone laboratory that empowers students to utilize advanced technology to support rangeland stewardship while gaining critical professional experience and certifications.
A landscape ecologist by training, Perotto’s research and teaching focus on better understanding and improving the relationships between spatial patterns and ecological processes within the environment. Advances in technology, such as drones and remote sensing, have opened new opportunities in this field and play a central role in Perotto’s work.
“We are conducting cutting-edge research while training the next generation of natural resource professionals in the use of technology to support decision-making in rangelands,” said Perotto, associate professor and recipient of the Joan Negley Kelleher Endowed Professorship in Ranch Management. “We are working with ranchers, nonprofits, and state and federal agencies to answer questions that have a direct impact on rangeland and wildlife ecology and management.”
Since starting the ecology and drone laboratory, five graduate students and four undergraduate students have obtained their Federal Aviation Administration drone pilot licenses.
Perotto said the future of the natural resource profession and career success depends on how much higher education invests in students today.
“Providing them with the opportunity to interact with peers and professionals and engage in critical thinking are some of the approaches that help me shape the learning experience,” he said. “At the end of the day, I am training my future colleagues, and I want to ensure their investment in learning yields positive results for their future.”
Prior to joining the department in 2023, Perotto developed an international reputation for research and teaching across institutions such as the Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno in Bolivia and Cranfield University in the United Kingdom.
He held multiple leadership roles with the Society for Range Management, the international professional organization that promotes rangeland health, stewardship and productivity through sound ecological and economic principles. In 2025, he served as chair of the SRM advisory council for the parent organization and as president of the organization’s Texas section.
“It is a great privilege to be a part of the department and train the next generation of Aggies,” Perotto said.
