Hi all, my name is Lizzy & I am a Graduate Research Assistant studying the population demographics of Blanding's Turtles in Iowa.

My career began when, as an undergraduate, I volunteered for a herpetological study with one of my professors collecting data on Salamander populations in Central Illinois. From there, I went on to intern and work seasonally at Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

In the years between my Undergraduate and Master's program I held a variety of Wildlife Technician positions that worked towards the Conservation & Management of Wildlife of all taxas. My first job was surveying for & tracking Wyoming Toads via Radio Telemetry with the SCA/USFWS in Laramie, WY. I then worked for Iowa State University in their MSIM Program, documenting the populations of different wildlife throughout WMA's in Southeast, IA. After that, I spent some time at home working in DuPage County, IL as a Natural Resources/Deer Management Technician. Finally, I just finished working in Southeast, OR at the Sheldon-Hart National Wildlife Refuge Complex as a technician for the USFWS. Here, I got to survey and collect habitat data for Big Horn Sheep, Sage Grouse, Cougars, Pronghorn, Mule Deer & much more.

That being said, I am so excited to be back in Iowa to further my education & help collect data on these cryptic turtles!