Dr. Ellen O. Aikens – Principal investigator 

Ellen is a quantitative ecologist who leads research on wildlife management issues related to animal movement, habitat change and spatial ecology. Ellen has always had a strong interest in applied research. She got started working on applied research questions during her undergraduate education at Ursinus College and later during an internship at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s GIS lab. Ellen’s fascination with animal movement and spatial analysis grew during her time at the Smithsonian, which led her to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Wyoming. During her graduate research, Ellen had the opportunity to explore western Wyoming and to collaborate with a dynamic group of ungulate ecologists in Europe through the NSF graduate research opportunities worldwide program. She then returned to Europe for her postdoc at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior in Konstanz, Germany. When not in the lab, you can find Ellen adventuring with her dog Duke, spending time with her family, or knitting a sweater.