Science education, community engagement, and collaboration are important parts of being a scientist. Whether it's teaching in the classroom, disseminating research to the general public, or working with new research partners, I enjoy sharing my work and expertise with diverse audiences and practitioners.

In & Out of the Classroom

Screen shot of 17 tiles- each one is a person participating in a Zoom meeting
A woman stands on the left side of the image wearing a teal jacket, black pants, and blue facemask. Her arms are extended forward as she gestures towards a group of college students, also wearing facemasks and facing the woman. The students are lined up along a leaf-covered road on the right side of the image. Trees with yellow and green foliage in the background.

I am passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists. I've had the honor of mentoring several undergraduate students as they developed and conducted independent research projects at the University of Washington and University of Idaho, including co-authoring a manuscript with one of my mentees. I also provided instruction, feedback, and advice as students developed professional skills, including field work, data collection, coding, and statistical analyses, as part of a large undergraduate internship program I established at the University of Washington. I've guest lectured at the Universities of Idaho, Montana, Virginia, and Washington on a number of topics, including camera trapping, competition theory, occupancy models, and Bayesian analyses. And I've met with students from the Transitions Program at Poway Unified School District, CA on a recurring basis to talk about wildlife, wolves, and my experiences studying animals. I love watching students gasp new concepts and get excited about science through these experiences. I hope to contribute to the development and training of young scientists, as well as provide representation and mentorship for women and girls who are interested in wildlife and quantitative ecology.

In the Media

Media coverage of research

Scientific American (02/28/23): Is the alpha wolf idea a myth?

The Wildlife Society (01/23/21): Wolf immigration doesn't compensate for losses from hunting

The Capital Press (12/29/20): Wolf immigration does not offset harvest losses

The Lewiston Tribune (12/25/20): The secrets in scat

The Spokesman-Review (12/21/20): Depleted packs unlikely to welcome immigrants

The Wildlife Society (07/27/20): Researchers study wolf howls by joining the chorus

The Wildlife Professional (July/August 19): Amid harvest, wolf packs remain stable

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife produced a short film about the Washington Predator-Prey Project, including aspects of my dissertation research. The documentary team did a phenomenal job telling the story of this massive collaborative study through breathtaking video footage, camera trap images, short interviews, and mesmerizing graphics. Released 03/25/2021

The Spokesman-Review featured our research published in Animal Conservation: 

Depleted packs unlikely to welcome immigrants

Current & Past Research Collaborators

Alberta Environment & Parks

Arizona Game & Fish Department

Idaho Department of Fish & Game

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

New Mexico Department of Game & Fish

Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

University of Idaho

University of Montana

University of Washington

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Forest Service

U.S. Geological Survey