Office: Thoday G3

Overarching theme: Humans, as a species, have profound effects on the Earth's ecological processes. I use wildlife surveys, community (citizen) science data, remotely sensed data, and computer-intensive analytical approaches to understand how and why biodiversity responds to anthropogenic environmental change. I'm particularly interested in conducting research that has tangible implications for conservation and management. 

Primary Research Interests:

1. The impact of global change on wildlife distributions. Global change in climate, land cover, and land use are causing dramatic shifts in the global wildlife distributions (both occurrence and abundance). I use species distribution models, historical data, and future projections to examine the historic and future effects of global change on wildlife. I've studied changes in bird populations in the Willamette Valley, Oregon since the 1800s, shifts in the elevational distributions of Switzerland's birds since the 1990s, and am currently projecting the future distirubtions of Europe's breeding birds to inform the EU's pledges to the Global Biodiversity Framework. 
2. Community science & methods development. Community science data are gathered at expansive spatial and temporal scales, but the excess noise associated with untrained observers and unstandardized methodologies can decrease their value. I am keenly interested in harnessing the power of community science for conservation and management as it provides a cost-effective method of wildlife monitoring while actively involving the public as stakeholders in research and conservation. Further, I'm interested in developing and testing methods of distribution and abundance modeling that are reliable and accessible to conservationists.
3. Human dimensions of wildlife. Our environment provides us with countless benefits. I am interested in understanding the relationships between global change and evosystem services. I'm currently collaborating on projects investigating the effects of avian biodiversity within soundscapes on physiological and psychological wellbeing.

Additional Highlights:

• Subject Editor for Ecography
• Member of the NERC Peer Review College
• Conservation And Sustainability Consortium of AcaDEmic institutions (CASCADE) Focal Point for Bangor University
• Scenarios for Protecting European Avian Redistributions (SPEAR) Biodiversa+ Project (Complete)

Module Organizer:

Conservation Management Planning (ENS-4205)

Module Contributor:

Geospatial Data Skills (ENS-2001)

Principles of Conservation (ENS-2204)

Conservation Practice (ENS-2005)

Wildlife Ecology & Conservation (BNS-3000)