Hello and thanks for taking the time to visit my biographical sketch! I was a community college student myself before transferring to university; the very same path you may be on. I moved from northern Illinois to Colorado where I graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology. While in school I worked on a variety of wildlife projects but most dealt with threatened and endangered species. For example, I worked with white-tailed prairie dogs, burrowing owls, North American river otter, Canada lynx, and several upper Colorado River Basin fishes that are federally protected. After I graduated, I went to work for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as a member of the recovery team for the endangered black-footed ferret. It wasn’t as exciting as it sounds... I mostly fed the ferrets and cleaned their enclosures!
Following that adventure, I moved to Idaho and attended Boise State University where I earned a Master of Science degree in Biology, again working with endangered species. This time I studied two native species of Idaho snails and one non-native, nuisance species. It was a good project and I worked with a lot of great people and had many wonderful experiences. My master’s project led to a decade-long relationship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service where I worked as a wildlife biologist for the agency. That was a great job and I encourage anyone interested in a career in natural resources research or management to talk with me. Finally, I began teaching in 2006 and earned my doctorate degree from the University of Idaho conducting research in the field of science education. I brought a lot of new ideas to my classrooms, both face-to-face and online, as a result of this work!
For the past fifteen years my focus has been on providing excellent undergraduate science education in Idaho and creating opportunities for our students to engage in research, experience different learning environments, and successfully transfer to a four-year school. For example, I developed and managed the Visiting Scientist Series at CWI, bringing Idaho scientists to campus to talk with our students about their research and opportunities for advanced study. I developed and taught field-based courses at the University of Idaho’s McCall Field Campus for CWI students. More recently, I’ve written (with my team!) and been awarded two National Institutes of Health research and education grants, totaling over $2M, for CWI students interested in biomedical research. Finally, in partnership with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I developed the Pathways Program for CWI students interested in natural resources careers with the federal government. I work very hard to prepare and train the next generation of scientists. I hope this brief biosketch helps you to know me a little better, and I look forward to seeing you in class and around campus. Please don’t hesitate to stop by, say hello, and introduce yourself!
