About me

I am an ecologist at the intersection of theoretical and applied ecology, currently working on landscape and quantitative ecology in relation to conservation and management of terrestrial wildlife. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Wildlife Conservation at the University of Dayton (Department of Biology - Environmental Biology Program) [lab webpage]. A lot of my current research involves working to understand wildlife use of natural and developed landscapes, range expansion of recolonizing species, how sex-specific differences can influence conservation and management, and the interactions between humans and wildlife. Specifically, I often work on species distributions, landscape connectivity, population and metapopulation dynamics,  carnivore ecology and behavior, applied conservation science, community ecology, and citizen/community science.

Some of my long term projects include investigating aspects of population and spatial ecology of  recolonizing black bears (Ursus americanus) in human-modified landscapes, in collaboration with the Missouri Black Bear Project and Missouri Department of Conservation. In addition, I research cougar (Puma concolor) range expansion in the eastern USA, and support researchers investigating wolf (Canis lupus) potential distribution and mortality sources in North America, among other topics. Also, I am part of Jaguar Network, an NGO focused on the conservation and restoration of the jaguar (Panthera onca) , as well as its habitats, in northern Argentina.

My past research and projects involve a variety of topics such as land use impact on mammal communities, invasive herbivores' effect on native carnivores occurrence and activity, quantifying exotic species richness (plants, birds, and mammals) in protected areas,  small carnivore introductions around the world, and avian reproductive ecology and behavior. For more info, click here.

Research is not done in isolation, and my projects could not be possible without the valuable work of my colleagues and collaborators, more recently including:

• Campfire Program in Wildlife Conservation (SUNY ESF) students and staff

• Laura Conlee, Charles Anderson, & Nathaniel Bowersock - Missouri Department of Conservation

• Melanie Boudreau and Ray Iglay - Mississippi State University

• Jennifer Price Tack and David McFarland - Wisconsin DNR

• Cody Norton , Brian Roell, & Dean Beyer - Michigan DNR

• John Erb - Minnesota DNR

• Jacob Hill - Savanna River Ecology Laboratory

• Shannon Finnegan - Jaguar Conservation Fund

• Nicolas Lodeiro Ocampo and Ines Ramos Vertiz - Jaguar Net NGO