Conservation of endangered and threatened species is what motivates the work I do. Behavioral data plays a crucial part in modern conservation, and I am always interested in learning more about the interplays between behavioral ecology studies and conservation/management plans. I am primarily interested in how wildlife populations (and individual animals) respond to human presence and other kinds of anthropogenic disturbances.
As an undergraduate, I studied the behavior of fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and learned that no animal is too small to have dynamic and fascinating behavior. Here at Iowa State, I have broadened my horizons and am studying wild ungulates in the field. The project I am currently working on concerns behavioral and physiological responses of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) to human presence in protected areas.