MS Student (NRSM, advised by David Mech)
I’m a master’s student studying wolf-elk encounter rates in Yellowstone National Park. The goal of my research is to identify what factors are influencing wolf-elk encounter rates and the impact encounter rates have on wolf kill rates. I’m using Generalized Linear Mixed-Effect models in a Bayesian framework to assess the influence of climate, elk density, and pack size on encounter rates. I am also studying black bear habitat selection and road avoidance in northwestern Minnesota using step-selection functions. This work is in collaboration with Dr. Mark Ditmer and Dr. James Forester and will assess how the GIS layers that we use influence our perception of habitat selection. When I’m not in the office, chasing wolves around Yellowstone, or climbing into bear dens, you can usually find me fly fishing, canoeing, or camping.
