About Us

Protecting Agriculture from Above

Waterfowl Alert Network (WFAN) helps agricultural producers reduce the spread of avian influenza by showing where migrating waterfowl are in relation to their farms. Using advanced radar modeling and field-tested epidemiological science, we provide daily risk forecasts that help poultry, cattle, and swine farms improve their biosecurity before the next outbreak strikes.

Our mission is to make biosecurity actionable. We believe farmers deserve better tools to make operational decisions and safeguard their flocks, livestock, and communities. That’s why we combine predictive radar modeling with real-time data delivery—giving producers a weather report for bird flu, delivered straight to their inbox.

How It Works

Waterfowl migrate thousands of miles each year, carrying highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) across regions and even continents. These birds often settle near agricultural areas, increasing the risk of transmission to commercial poultry, cattle, and swine operations.

WFAN aggregates weather surveillance radar, telemetry data, and ecological modeling to predict the daily presence and movement of waterfowl. We create risk maps for each farm in our system, layered by distance zones (1 to 4 miles) with clear stoplight-style risk levels.

Farms receive:

Daily email forecasts with easy-to-understand risk levels for each location
Access to interactive maps and historical data
Real-time insights to inform supply chain decisions and targeted biosecurity investments

Meet the Team

Maurice Pitesky

CEO

Maurice holds a veterinary degree and a postgraduate degree in epidemiology. As a faculty member at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, he specializes in poultry health and food safety epidemiology. He is passionate about enhancing food safety and production efficiency across various agricultural fields.

Joseph Gendreau

Chief Technology Officer

Joseph graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Engineering. He has experience in developing power and low voltage systems in the AEC industry and later worked on technology applications for epidemiological research at the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Matt Hardy

Co-director of Ecologic Modeling

Matt holds an M.Sc. in Wildlife Ecology, specializing in waterfowl research and radar ornithology. With hands-on experience in habitat management, disease monitoring, and studying anthropogenic impacts on wildlife, Matt brings a unique expertise to projects aimed at understanding and conserving wildlife in a changing environment.

Jeff Buler

Chief Data Officer

Jeff is a pioneer in the use of weather surveillance radar for waterfowl modeling around the world. He is currently a Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware and leads our waterfowl modeling efforts.

Jaclyn Smolinsky

Co-director of Ecologic Modeling

Jaclyn obtained an undergraduate degree in geography and a master's degree in biology focusing on migratory bird stopover ecology. She uses her expertise to apply weather surveillance radar to study migratory and wintering birds.

Tristan Bond

Chief of Engineering

Tristan is a proud graduate of UC, holding a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has experience in building automation systems, energy efficiency research and software development.