Assistant Professor of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
- PhD, Forest Science, Michigan Technological University
- MS, Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming
- BS, Biology with Honors Thesis, University of Michigan
Why study animal-ecosystem links?
The ecological significance of a species is a story worth telling. Telling such stories has required working among the fields of population biology, community ecology, and ecosystem science. Understanding the relationship between species and ecosystem processes is important because it critically informs management decisions and conservation science. I value and have used experimental, empirical, and theoretical approaches in my research. My preference is to develop robust empirical approaches that are designed for long-term data collection, and use field experiments to test specific hypotheses generated from empirical data.
I believe personal appreciation, public support, effective management, and conservation start with the understanding of animal-ecosystem relationships. Yet, pure science does not necessarily result in immediately useful applications. I am comfortable with ecological theory, value restoration and conservation efforts, and aim to do work that reduces the gap between the two.