T.J. Clark-Wolf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center at Utah State University, with broad interests in population and community ecology, global change biology, and conservation. His research focuses on developing quantitative methods to conserve wildlife and biodiversity in an increasingly changing world. He uses a combination of empirical research, ecological theory, and quantitative methods to study these processes in a range of charismatic taxa from seabirds to wolves. T.J. has a B.A. in zoology and neuroscience from Ohio Wesleyan University, MRes in ecology from the University of Glasgow, and a Ph.D. in wildlife biology from the University of Montana. Prior to joining USU he was a postdoctoral researcher and Data Science Fellow at the University of Washington.

Google Scholar | Email: t.j.clark-wolf@usu.edu

Jonathan Lautenbach is a postdoctoral researcher with interests in population ecology, wildlife ecology, and conservation with a general focus of birds. He uses various quantitative methods to evaluate population dynamics, habitat ecology, and avian speciation. At USU, his research focuses on evaluating the impacts of water levels and other habitat characteristics on waterbird population dynamics in the Great Salt Lake. Jonathan has a B.A. in natural resources management from Grand Valley State University, a M.Sc. in wildlife biology from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. in ecology and evolution from the University of Wyoming. For his Ph.D. he was researching various aspects of sharp-tailed grouse ecology, including subspecies delineation, habitat selection, and population dynamics.

Email: jonathan.lautenbach@usu.edu

Hengxing Zou is a postdoctoral researcher co-advised by Erica Stuber and Alex Baecher (Emory University) interested in understanding how spatial and temporal changes of species distribution shape their interactions and community structure. He uses a combination of ecological theory, data analysis, lab experiments, and fieldwork to study species interactions under global change. At USU, his research focuses on characterizing range shifts of North American birds using abundance distributions modeled from multiple data sources, and consequences on ecology and conservation of these range shifts. Hengxing obtained his B.S. in biological sciences from the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Rice University. Before joining USU, Hengxing was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Global Change Biology at the University of Michigan. 

Website | Email: hengxing.zou@usu.edu

Michael is a PhD Student interested in large mammal conservation and quantitative approaches to studying trophic interactions. His research focuses on the iconic wolf-elk-aspen ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park, where he is disentangling top-down and bottom-up forces that drive population dynamics of multiple taxa in the park. Prior involvements of his include evaluating impacts of recreation on wildlife, using machine learning to improve data pipelines, and acting as a liaison to establish and maintain working relationships between Tribal governments and state/federal entities. Michael has a B.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a M.Sc. in Forestry from the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining USU he was a Research Scientist at the University of Washington and a Wildlife Ecologist for the Tulalip Tribes of Washington.

Website | Email: michael.procko@usu.edu

Adrien is a PhD student in Ecology studying the survival, reproduction, and movement strategies of moose in Utah. Her research aims to understand how moose at the southernmost edge of their range persist in warmer climates with increased parasite exposure. For her dissertation, Adrien is investigating how moose alter their movement behavior to reduce parasite risk and thermal stress, with the goal of informing effective wildlife management. Prior to starting her PhD, Adrien conducted research on large marine vertebrates, spanning from tropical species such as Olive Ridley sea turtles to multiple whale species in the Monterey Bay. She completed her B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she spent nearly three years studying northern elephant seals as part of a long-term mark-recapture program. Her undergraduate research focused on maternal behavior, movement strategies, and population dynamics. In addition, she contributed to a long-term Monterey Bay Aquarium project examining southern sea otter foraging patterns and assisted with population census efforts.

Website | Email: a.bastidas@usu.edu

Sharon is a M.S. student in Ecology and a Research Assistant at Utah State University, studying shorebird populations across the Intermountain West of the USA and interested in wildlife, management, and conservation. Her previous work focused on shorebirds in Chile, where she led biological monitoring and contributed to public policy planning and implementation of measures to address pressing issues that threaten shorebird populations throughout their annual cycles. Sharon has a B.S. in Natural Resources Engineering from the University of Chile and is a Coastal Solutions Senior Fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Before joining USU, she coordinated the Waterbirds and Wetlands Program at ROC, a Chilean NGO, engaging scientists, land managers, and communities around bird conservation. Sharon co-led the development and drafting of the first Chilean Shorebirds Conservation Action Plan and is a member of the Board of the National Bird Conservation Strategy in Chile.

Email: sharon.montecino@usu.edu

Sammy is an MS student interested in disease ecology, mammalian conservation and management, and community ecology. Her thesis aims to study the occurrence of winter ticks and arterial worms throughout the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, and how their presence may affect moose movements. Before attending graduate school, Sammy worked for a variety of federal and state agencies researching invasive insects, endangered birds, and threatened salamanders. Her primary field work background involves monitoring carnivores in the western United States to better inform management practices. She obtained her B.S. at the University of Delaware in both Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and Insect Ecology and Conservation. There, Sammy researched jaguarundi occupancy and coexistence with other felid species in Panama. 

Email: sammy.baron@usu.edu