Assistant Professor

Contact Info

Institution: Utah State University, Senior Partner

Phone: (406) 600-2369

Address: 1595 N 1600 E, Logan, Utah 84341, US

Website: https://usudiseaseecologylab.weebly.com/

Research Disciplines

  • Diseases/Pathogens

  • Behavioral Ecology

  • Conservation Ecology

  • Statistical Ecology

  • Wildlife Ecology

  • Ecology/Landscape

  • Exotic Diseases

  • Population Biology

  • Livestock and Wildlife interactions

  • Modeling and Simulation

  • Animal Behavior

  • Exotic wildlife diseases

Research Interests

Disease ecology, movement ecology, spatial-social interface, desert ecology, bighorn sheep, mule deer, moose, elk, mountain goats, guzzlers, mating systems, reproduction

Projects

  • Refining core herd home range and movement estimates for desert bighorn sheep throughout Clark County, NV. (in collaboration with USGS-Western Ecological Research Center)
  • Using ungulate movement to assess disease spillover risk  in Montana. (in collaboration with USGS-Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center)

Biography

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center at Utah State University.  I hold an MS in statistics (Montana State University, 2009) and a PhD in biology (Pennsylvania State University, 2016), and I conducted post-doctoral research with the USGS and USDA.  I have active research projects in Idaho, Washington, Montana, Utah, and Nevada, and collaborate closely with the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' Wild Sheep Working Group.  My research uses a combination of field, statistical modeling, and simulation/mathematical modeling approaches, and tends to focus on a) accurate predictions of wildlife movement dynamics in particular systems; or b) how those movement dynamics shape pathogen transmission and spillover risk.

Education

  • Ph.D., Biology, Pennsylvania State University (2016; advisor Dr. Peter Hudson, FRS)
  • M.S., Statistics, Montana State University (2009; advisor Dr. Megan Higgs)
  • B.A., Saint Olaf College (2006)