The Team

Joe Holbrook - Associate Professor

 Joe is a quantitative wildlife ecologist within the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources as well as Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming.  His primary interests lie at the intersection of population and community ecology, although his experience extends beyond wildlife ecology in that he has worked in many interdisciplinary environments.  For instance, Joe has worked on questions such as: (1) Why are animals where they are?, (2) How does environmental change influence animals?, and (3) How do people from different backgrounds value the environment?  Joe generally works with carnivores, which have spanned from jaguarundis and badgers in rangelands to Canada lynx and mountain lions in forests. Applied problems motivate Joe’s work, but he strives to place these questions within a theoretical foundation to advance both management and science.  Outside of work, Joe enjoys hunting, fishing, skiing, and making game calls on his lathe. 

Joe.Holbrook[at]uwyo.edu 

Austin Smith - Research Scientist

Austin works on a wide range of carnivore ecology projects, contributing his skills to our swift fox and canid ecology projects, as well as ongoing research on bobcats and lynx. With a strong background from his MS at the University of Wyoming—where he focused on forest carnivores like red foxes, Pacific martens, and coyotes along with prey species such as snowshoe hares and red squirrels—Austin brings valuable expertise to our team. Passionate about applied science, Austin hopes his work will aid future conservation and management of forest carnivores. Outside of work, he enjoys immersing himself in nature—biking, climbing, backpacking, and traveling.  

Essential partners: Dr. John Squires (USFS-RMRS), Leah Yandow (BLM), Chris Keefe (BLM), Dr. Jake Ivan (CPW), Dr. Jody Vogeler (CSU) , John Stephenson (GTNP)

asmit167[at]uwyo.edu

Colton Hoffer - MS student

Colton earned his BS in 2019 at the University of Wyoming in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Management. He grew up in Laramie, Wyoming where he pursued his passion in wildlife and the outdoors through birding, fishing, hunting and amateur wildlife videography. He worked for the US Forest Service as a forestry technician and wildlife technician on the Laramie Ranger District for the past nine years. Along with his wildlife experience growing up around livestock, hay production, and riding horses, agriculture has had a huge influence on his life. Now pursuing a MS at the University of Wyoming he is researching cattle and large carnivore interactions as well as the efficacy of flash tags as a deterrent for depredation.  

Essential partners: Ken Mills (WGFD), Clint Atkinson (WGFD)

Erin Sawa - MS student

Erin is originally from California and made it to Colorado in 2010 by way of Texas. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2014 with a degree in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. Erin has spent most of the last 10 years working as a technician on various research projects for Colorado Parks and Wildlife; piecing together work outside the state in Montana, Alaska, and California. Erin’s master’s work at the University of Wyoming will focus on how seasonal variation effects diet composition habitat use of bobcats in northwest Colorado. 

Essential partners: Shane Frank (CPW)

esawa[at]uwyo.edu

Justin Clapp - PhD student

Justin grew up in the Wind River Basin of west-central Wyoming. In 2015 he received an MS degree from the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at the University of Wyoming with a focus on bighorn sheep ecology. Currently a large carnivore biologist at Wyoming Game and Fish and an Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team member, Justin’s duties include research, monitoring, and management of grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, and wolves. His primary research interests involve space-use, movement, and behavioral and disease ecology within predator-prey systems, as well as improving data management strategies for wildlife monitoring and modeling frameworks. While much of his time is spent in the field conducting captures and immobilizations, he also enjoys Broadway theatre.

Essential partners: Large Carnivore Section (WGFD), Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST), Justin Binfet (WGFD), Hank Edwards (WGFD)

justing[at]uwyo.edu

Emily Davis - PhD student

Emily is originally from North Carolina but now considers Wyoming her home. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in 2016, her Master’s degree in 2023, and is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Wyoming, aiming to complete her "triple crown." Her doctoral research focuses on the trophic interactions among wolves, coyotes, and red foxes in Grand Teton National Park and surrounding areas, while her Master’s work centered on black bear behavioral ecology, examining individual variation in black bear habitat selection and the trade-offs of risk and reward around bait sites. Emily values the rich collaborations that have marked both her Master’s and PhD experiences. Though Wyoming took time to win her over, she now deeply appreciates the state’s wild landscapes and communities and proudly considers herself a "Laramigo." 

Essential partners: John Stephenson (GTNP), Ken Mills (WGFD)

MSc Essential partners: Dan Bjornlie (WGFD), Ryan Kindermann (WGFD), Dr. Dan Thompson (WGFD), American Bear Foundation

edavis22[at]uwyo.edu

Eric VanNatta - MS student

Originally from central Wisconsin, Eric’s love for wildlife biology grew from an early exposure to hunting and fishing. While studying wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, he gained experience working on diverse projects with organizations like the Ottawa National Forest and Wisconsin DNR, covering topics from bat behavior to wolf range expansion and owl migration. After graduation, Eric spent three years with the USDA researching methods for managing invasive wild pigs across eight states. Currently, his thesis explores how elk adjust behavior and space use in response to recreation, in collaboration with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and other partners. In his free time, Eric enjoys hunting, fishing, trail running, skiing, and exploring new places. 

Essential partners: Dr. Nathaniel Rayl (CPW), Kris Middledorf (CPW), Missy Dressen (USFS), Jeff Yost (CPW), Kyle Bond (CPW), Jack Taylor (CPW), Dr. Eric Bergman (CPW)

evannatt[at]uwyo.edu