Cassandre Venumière-Lefebvre

Ph.D. student in Conservation Ecology

Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence, 

Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University

ORCID : 0000-0002-8586-3176

cassandre.venumiere-lefebvre@colostate.edu 

Education

2022 - Present. Ph.D. candidate. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence, Colorado State University, USA. Advisors - Dr. Kevin Crooks et Dr.  Stewart Breck. Project: Integrating ecology and social science to identify effective strategies to foster human-black bear coexistence (Ursus americanus).

2020 - 2022. Research assistant & visiting scholar. Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence, Colorado State University,  USA. Project:  A systematic map of human-carnivore coexistence.

2018 - 2020. Master of Science in Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution, focus on  Conservation Ecology. Laboratory of Ecology, Systematics, Evolution, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France. Advisor: Dr. Marc Girondot: Evolution of sex ratio thermal reaction norm among chelonians using a bayesian approach.

2015 - 2018. Bachelor of Science  in Biology of Organisms and Ecology. Université Paris Sud, Orsay, France.

Publications

Venumière-Lefebvre, C.,  Breck, S., Crooks, K. A systematic map of human-carnivore coexistence. Biological Conservation, Volume 268, 2022, 109515, ISSN 0006-3207, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109515. 

Conferences

2024. Venumière-Lefebvre. C. Bears, watch your step: a study of fine-scale individual bear movement through an urban landscape in Colorado. [Presentation]. 28th International Association for Bear Research and Management, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 

2024. Venumière-Lefebvre. C. Bears, watch your step: a study of fine-scale individual bear movement through an urban landscape in Colorado. [Presentation]. 14th Western Black Bear Workshop, Jackson Hole, WY, USA. 

2023. Venumière-Lefebvre, C., Breck, S., Johnson, H., Alldredge, M. & Crooks, K. Bears, watch your step: fine-scale individual bear movements in Durango. [Poster]. Graduate Student Showcase, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. 

2022. Venumière-Lefebvre, C., Breck, S., Johnson, H., Bailey L., Lischka S., & Crooks, K. Can the right trash cans help protect black bears? [Poster]. Graduate Student Showcase, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. 

2022. Venumière-Lefebvre, C., Breck, S., Johnson, H., Bailey L., Lischka S., & Crooks, K. Follow-up evaluation on the effectiveness of a large-scale effort to use bear resistant garbage cans for limiting conflict in Durango, Colorado [Presentation]. 6th International Human-Bear Conflicts Workshop - Pathways to Progress: Connecting People, Conserving Bears, Lake Tahoe, NV, USA. 

Teaching

Fall 2024. Teaching Assistant. FW 471 - Wildlife Data Collection and Analysis, instructor: Dr. Larissa Bailey, Colorado State University.

Spring  2022. Teaching Assistant. NR 300 - Biological Diversity, instructor: Dr. Liba Pejchar, Colorado State University.

Spring 2022. Guest lecture: "Reducing human-bear garbage-related conflict in Durango, CO."  for FW 455 - Principles of Conservation Biology, instructor: Dr. Kevin Crooks, Colorado State University. 

Spring 2022. Guest lecture: "Predators and coexistence."  for NR 300 - Biological Diversity, instructor: Dr. Liba Pejchar, Colorado State University. 

Mentoring

2022 - Present. Mentored several undergraduate students interested in research experience: Katie McDaniels (2022), Sara Hathaway (2022 - 2023), Annika Fridberg (2022 - 2024), Hannah Bailey (2024 - present), Emma Burdick (2024 - present), Aidan Hallsworth (2024 - present), James Wiske (2024 - present).

Service

2022 - 2024. Graduate student representative for the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice committee for the department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University. Notable achievements: 

• Two all-department workshops organized and facilitated (Fall 2022 and Spring 2024) on the themes of advisor-advisee relationships and mental health.

• Introduced individual development plans as a tool for communication of expectations and personal goals in the department.

• Wrote and a guide for prospective and current international students of the department.

Outreach

Presentations

2024. Venumière-Lefebvre, C. How do we study bears to limit human-bear conflicts? [Presentation]. Virtual presentation for 3rd graders of the STEM lab,  Adams 12 Five Star School, Northglenn, Colorado.

2024. Venumière-Lefebvre, C. Bearing Responsibility, Not Grudges: Human-Bear Coexistence. [Presentation]. 3-Minute Talk Competition, Graduate School and Office of the Vice President for Research, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. 

2022. Venumière-Lefebvre, C. Follow-up evaluation on the effectiveness of a large-scale effort to use bear-resistant garbage cans for limiting conflict in Durango, Colorado [Presentation]. Human-Bear Conflict Specialist Leads Group, Virtual. 

Media

Kvasnicka, T. (2022, May 10th). One Health-funded study finds wildlife-resistant trash cans assist in reducing human-black bear conflict. Source. https://source.colostate.edu/one-health-funded-study-finds-wildlife-resistant-trash-cans-assist-in-reducing-human-black-bear-conflict/ 

Lange, K. ( Fall 2022). Working toward a peaceful coexistence. All Animals, (1948-3597), 18-24. https://www.humanesociety.org/news/coexisting-with-bears 

Fuqua, S & Martin M. ( 2024, Oct. 15). Neighborhoods in Boulder aim to harvest fruit trees before bears have a go at it. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2024/10/15/nx-s1-5140551/neighborhoods-in-boulder-aim-to-harvest-fruit-trees-before-bears-have-a-go-at-it 

Grants, awards and scholarships

2024. International Association for Bear Research and Management Travel Grant. Venumière-Lefebvre, C. ($1,000). 

2022 - 2025 Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence Student Research and Outreach Grant. Venumière-Lefebvre, C. Measuring effectiveness of strategies to reduce human-bear conflict in developed areas ($7,000) 

2023 - 2025 Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence Undergraduate Research Experience Program RFP - Crooks, K., Breck, S., Hyde, M., Venumière-Lefebvre, C. Undergraduate mentorship in applied research to reduce human-carnivore conflict in the Western United States ($3,000)

2022 - 2024 CHCC Faculty Interdisciplinary Research Mini-Grants. Schultz, C.,  Breck, S., Crooks, K., Venumière-Lefebvre, C., Jones, M., Lischka, S. Integrating policy and behavior change to reduce human-black bear conflict in residential areas ($29,947)

2024 Warner College of Natural Resources Robert and Dorothy Udall scholarship in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. Venumière-Lefebvre, C. ($1,000) 

2023. Warner College of Natural Resources Award for Graduate Student Achievement. Colorado State University Graduate Student Showcase, Fort Collins, CO. Venumière-Lefebvre, C. ($500) 

2023 Warner College of Natural Resources Anheuser-Busch Environmental Fellowship. Venumière-Lefebvre, C. ($2,050)

2020 International mobility grant from Paris Saclay University, Venumière-Lefebvre, C. Venumière-Lefebvre, C. (4,610.00€) ($5,584.07)  

Artistic training

2016 - 2019. First cycle of archeology, art history and museology (incomplete). Ecole du Louvre, Paris, France. Specialization in Pre-Columbian American Arts.