Research for mission-driven conservation
My personal research interests lie at the intersection of wildlife and landscape ecology, human-driven environmental change, and conservation science. Alongside my team in the Changing Landscapes Lab at Conservation Science Partners, I work on projects ranging from the development of robust and ecologically realistic models that describe species distributions and habitat connectivity to the assessment of conservation value on public lands that can bolster the case for their protection. We deliver robust, forward-looking science that aims to maximize ecological realism and capture the complex dynamics that arise from the interaction between wildlife, human-driven landscape changes, and the ever-increasing effects of climate change. I work with a diverse array of clients across the public and private sectors ranging from federal and state agencies, advocacy non-profits, and citizens groups and enjoy the challenges and learning opportunities that this affords. I am at my best as a scientist when I am faced with a thorny problem and revel in the problem-solving it takes to make research questions, available data, and available methodologies align to arrive at satisfying and conservation-relevant answers.
I also maintain a parallel research career focused on understanding the often under-appreciated social dynamics of male African elephants. Working with my collaborators, I use long-term field observations from a remote waterhole in Namibia and innovative statistical approaches to interrogate how individuals form and maintain relationships over time, how they navigate the dynamics associated with dominance-related conflicts, and whether and how these approaches change through different life stages. Ultimately, by better understanding what makes male elephants ‘tick' we hope to better advocate for the consideration of their social and behavioral ecology in conservation strategies.