My research interests include public participation in wildlife conservation decision making, stakeholder beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors related to wildlife conservation and decision making, public trust resource management, good governance, and community-based natural resources management. I conduct applied research and outreach activities aimed at supplementing the professional training of wildlife biologists and natural resource practitioners with new sources of knowledge in a manner that is sensitive to, and accounts for, real experiences and limitations that professionals face. I work with both practitioner and academic colleagues to explore principles and practices of natural resource governance, public trust thinking, community-based wildlife management, and stakeholder engagement. I work closely with Michigan DNR Wildlife, as my position is supported through a collaboration between the DNR and MSU, the Partnership for Ecosystem Research & Management.

Before coming to MSU, I worked as the human dimensions research specialist for Michigan DNR Wildlife. In that role I sought to enhance the social science and public engagement capacity of staff, working across the agency from field biologists to program specialists to section supervisors. I strove to serve as a resource in closing the research to management gap relative to social science considerations, which meant having fluency with and considering all conservation challenges as an opportunity to engage with both social and ecological dimensions of wildlife governance.