Trinity Smith, 2019

Thesis:

Elucidating Patterns of Bat Species Occupancy Across a Disturbed Landscape in California’s Central Valley

Molly Parren, 2019

Thesis:

Drought and Coyotes Mediate the Relationship Between Mesopredators and Human Disturbance in California

Molly used camera trap data collected at 585 sites in 2016 (drought) and 2017 (post-drought) in both the Central Valley and Mojave Desert of California for her thesis. She examined how drought and co-occurrence with coyotes (Canis latrans) mediate spatial patterns of mesopredator occurrence across a continuum of human disturbance levels in the Central Valley and Mojave Desert of California. Following graduate school, Molly moved back to the East Coast where she is currently a research associate at the American Turtle Observatory working on regional conservation plans for several freshwater turtle species.

Janelle Chojnacki, 2024

Thesis:

Common Raven Resource Selection, Diet and Behavior around a Threatened Shorebird

Leah Temple Roll,

Thesis:

Common Raven Abundance in Gunnison Sage Grouse Habitat

Hello! I am from the Western Slope of Colorado, although I have lived all over the West while growing up. Thanks to my parents, my love of science was nurtured from a very young age with nature hikes while camping and experiments at home. I received a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Colorado Mesa University. Since then, I have worked and volunteered all over Colorado on wildlife studies. I started my fieldwork career working for the state’s wildlife agency (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) on multiple management projects and studies focusing on fish, mule deer, elk, desert and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and mountain lion. I most recently worked for the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado monitoring species of special interest, including nesting raptors and Gunnison sage grouse. I am excited to be a student again and conducting my own study on raven abundance in Gunnison sage grouse habitat! I hope to learn skills that will be applicable in whatever I choose to study next, as I find nearly every aspect of the wildlife science discipline fascinating. When I’m not in the field for work, I am generally outdoors exploring with my husband and our two dogs. We can often be found rafting, camping, and hiking the rivers, canyons, and mountains of the Colorado Plateau. I look forward to experiencing northern California and all it has to offer throughout grad school and might get used to the climate… eventually.

Ryan Matilton, 2025

Thesis:

Bat species diversity in the Klamath Basin prior to dam removals

Evan Burnett, 2024

Thesis:

Examining the drivers of nocturnal behavior of pikas at lower elevations in Lassen National Forest, California

Tina Giudici, 2024

Thesis:

Composition, spatial co-occurrence, and temporal overlap of small mammal species at American pika (Ochotona princeps) activity centers

Chris West, 2009

Thesis:

Vigilance in reintroduced California condors: the impact of early-rearing experience. 

Wildlife Biologist, Yurok Tribe, Klamath, CA

Pia Gabriel, 2012

Thesis:

Steller’s jay behavioural syndromes.Technische Universität München, Germany.

Pre-grant Specialist, Cal Poly Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation

Derek Lee, 2002

Thesis:

Spring stopover of black brant geese at Humboldt Bay, CA.

PhD, Dartmouth, co-director of Wild Nature Institute