B.S., Purdue University – Biology (1984) Ph.D., University of California, San Diego - Biology (1994).

My general research areas include (1) behavioral ecology - the adaptive function of animal behavior, (2) cognitive ecology - how animals learn about their environment and use the information to make adaptive decisions and (3) conservation science - how ecology can be applied to conserving species and ecosystems, and improving environmental health. Presently, I am involved in the following research projects. Impact of Roads on Costa Rica National Parks. I collaborate with the International Institute in Wildlife Conservation & Management (ICOMVIS), National University of Costa Rica on research related to roads in Latin America. I am using geographic information systems and remote sensing data to evaluate the fingerprint of public roads that bisect national parks in Costa Rica. I am also conducting field work in the Guanacaste Conservation Area on the impact of the Pan-American Highway on movements of wildlife. Value of Restored Wetlands for Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The USDA National Resources Conservation Service, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and Ducks Unlimited have partnered with over 100 private landowners in northeastern New York to restore and conserve wetlands. My research evaluates whether these projects are worthwhile from the aspect of conserving threatened species, and also evaluates why landowners chose to participate in the programs. Impact of Road Mortality on Turtles and other Herpetofauna. There is increasing concern among conservation biologists about the long-term impact of roads on reptiles and amphibian populations. My research is focused on how to predict and mitigate hotspots of road mortality on turtles and other reptiles and amphibians. This research includes use of field surveys and GIS to locate hotspots of road-kill, and the design and testing of barriers to road crossing. Sociobiology and Cognition in the New World Jays. The New World Jays are model group for understanding the evolution and ecology of reproductive cooperation and sociality. Experiments with jays are also revealing new insights into learning and memory in vertebrates. My work has primarily focused on two species: the white-throated magpie-jay and the western scrub-jay.