Born and raised in Mitrovica, Kosovo, Miranda’s love for animals evolved into a scientific mission to protect wildlife across borders. In 2021, she founded Kosovo Wildlife, the first grassroots NGO in the country dedicated to wildlife research and education. Her early work focused on species monitoring in Kosovo’s Blinaja region in collaboration with Hungarian researchers and local conservationists.

Her academic path is as international as her passion. After earning a bachelor’s in Animal Science at the University of Prishtina and completing studies in Hungary, Miranda continued her master’s and Ph.D. research across Europe. She was a recipient of several prestigious fellowships, including the DBU German Federal Environmental Foundation Fellowship and Stipendium Hungaricum.

In 2024, her path led her to the U.S., where she joined the University of Florida as a visiting research scholar. Working under Dr. Hance Ellington, Miranda contributed to the Florida Coyote Project, a $1.4 million conservation initiative addressing predator ecology and wildlife health. Her work in tick-borne disease and pathogen surveillance is helping shape how states manage emerging ecological threats.

Recognizing her contributions, the University of Florida offered her a transfer into its Ph.D. program in Agronomy. Her new research focuses on improving the nutrition and health of Florida’s white-tailed deer — a critical species for both ecology and agriculture — under the support of the Cervidae Health Research Initiative (CHeRI).

Outside the lab, Miranda is building community. She now serves as Vice President of the Agronomy Graduate Student Association (AGSA) and is a proud member of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

“I’m proud to represent Kosovo and the Albanian diaspora in global science,” says Miranda. “But even more, I’m here to show that our voice matters in the future of conservation.”