Grad Students


  • Growing up in the Sacramento Valley of California, I had many opportunities to be involved with fish and wildlife.

    I have spent most of my life participating in outdoor recreation activities such as camping, fishing and hunting. I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from California State University, Chico in 2018. About halfway through my undergraduate career, I found that my passion resided with wildlife, specifically waterfowl. I began making the transition in my course work and field experience so that I would be prepared to enter the wildlife field after graduation. Since graduation, I have worked numerous waterfowl technician positions throughout California, Nevada, and Oregon for Federal, State and Private agencies.

    I joined the Hagen Lab in the spring in 2021 to begin research on the importance of permanent wetlands for waterbird reproduction in the Klamath Basin. Since then, water management decisions and drought have caused the wetlands in my study area to go dry. My research now focuses on how permanent and semi-permanent wetland vegetation is affected by prolonged drought conditions. This shift in research has opened my eyes to the importance of wetlands on the landscape and peaked my interest in a career working in wetland systems. My goal for obtaining my Master’s Degree is to acquire a position working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service working with wetland creation and restoration. In my free time I enjoy traveling, hunting, and fly-fishing. 

  • I have been a Visiting Scholar in the Hagen Lab, winter term 2025, from S. Seifullin Agrotechnical Research University in Astana, Kazakhstan., where I am pursuing my Ph.D.

    I was always interested in nature and ecology and I had Bachelors degree in ecology. 

    I worked as assistant in  Research projects “The study of the influence of environmental factors on the dynamics of the state of forest ecosystems in the conditions of the steppe zone of Kazakhstan” and  "Landscape and ecological assessment of the state of green spaces in the city Astana and suburban areas, ways to optimize the landscaping system".

    I also worked as teaching assistant in the same university and decided that I want to continue in Academia so I enrolled to the PhD program. 

    My current research project is focused on impact of human activities on raptor’s distribution and density in Burabay National Park, Kazakhstan 




  • I grew up in Portland, Oregon, enjoying my time outdoors, particularly my time birding.

    Both my parents were involved in wildlife and conservation work while I was growing up, and my spark for working in this field came from participating in sandhill crane surveys every year with my dad. He would pick me up from school on a day in October, and we would drive out to Sturgeon Lake, on Sauvie Island, to count cranes as they flew in to roost. Hearing and seeing the cranes as they flew over really stuck with me and those calls are still one of my favorite things to hear in nature. I started working field jobs while on a gap year after high school and worked in Australia and Eastern Montana. In 2021, I completed a B.S. in Wildlife Biology with a certificate in GIS at the University of Montana. I worked on further field jobs during my time there, on the Farallon Islands and again in Eastern Montana. I was involved in research throughout my time there, culminating in my senior thesis on shrimp farms in the Gulf of California. For that work, I measured the expansion of shrimp farms over the last 30 years, and modeled potential for restoration by quantifying the area of abandoned farms. 

    I joined the Hagen Lab in 2022 and am pursuing my M.S. in Wildlife Science. My research is looking at the occupancy and abundance of yellow rails in southcentral Oregon, and is using automated recording units (ARU) to understand this. This is an isolated and understudied but declining population. Almost all of their known breeding range lies in the Klamath Basin, an ecologically and sociologically complex and contested landscape. I’m looking forward to gaining a better understanding of their distribution and the drivers of it.


  • Born and raised in Georgia (eastern European country!), the rich biodiversity of the Caucasus Region captivated me from a young age.

    This early curiosity laid the foundation for my educational journey, leading me to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in ecology from Tbilisi State University and Ilia State University. My research during this period was focused on the distribution and threats facing the Eastern Imperial Eagle. 

    Eager to put my knowledge into practice, I joined the Society for Nature Conservation (SABUKO), a partner of Birdlife International in Georgia. Over my five-year period as Executive Director, I developed numerous critical conservation initiatives nationwide, focusing on the protection of locally and internationally threatened species and influencing conservation policies. 

    My dedication to deepening my understanding of quantitative methods in ecology was recognized in 2021, when I received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the USA. This facilitated my pursuit of another master’s degree from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Here, my studies concentrated on the efficacy of passive monitoring systems and machine learning acoustic classifiers for monitoring and evaluating elusive forest raptors, such as the Broad-winged Hawk. 

    Now, as a PhD candidate in Wildlife Sciences at Oregon State University, I combine my interest in wildlife conservation and quantitative ecology by studying the impact of collision reduction technology on avian species near Casper, Wyoming, primarily studying the effectiveness of painted wind turbine blades. My research, in collaboration with leading institutes, involves identifying source populations of bird fatalities and developing demographic models assessing the risks associated with wind energy.

    When I am not busy with research, I enjoy birdwatching, swimming, and planning my next travel adventure. My best ideas come often when I am in nature, inspired by the species I have worked so hard to protect.


  • I was born and raised in the great state of Wisconsin where my family instilled in me a passion for wildlife and the great outdoors.

     I learned I could pursue a career as a wildlife biologist, much to the dismay of my parents who feared I would be living in their basement until I was 40. In 2015 I received my Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a double major in Wildlife Ecology Research and Management and Biology. Upon graduation, I took short-term employment opportunities as a field technician and traveled across the United States working on various research projects. I started working with mammals, including bobcats in Wisconsin, white-tailed deer in North Dakota, small mammals and rats in Mississippi, and New England and Eastern cottontails in New York, before I entered the world of birds with a position studying greater sage-grouse in Nevada. That last technician position turned into year-round employment when I took on the challenge of project management. For the next 5 years I worked for the US Geological Survey as a wildlife biologist, managing a large-scale greater sage-grouse research program in Nevada and California that collected data at 10-12 field sites and employed 40+ technicians every year. From this experience I realized I wanted to pursue a graduate degree to further my understanding of the scientific process to improve my project management skills and discover additional opportunities in the field of wildlife biology.

    I was welcomed into the Hagen Lab at Oregon State University in March 2022. I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree. I am studying a declining population of greater sage-grouse in Central Oregon at the western edge of greater sage-grouse range, investigating possible causes for the decline. These investigations include collecting data on human disturbances, avian predator densities, conifer encroachment, and water availability and comparing these data to greater sage-grouse demographics and habitat-use. The results of this initial 3-year study will be given to local managers to help inform their decisions. 

    I would like to note that to date, I have not lived at my parent’s house since high school and hope to keep that going until I am at least 41. It is a good motivator to be successful with this career path.

  • The Role of Trees and Thermal Refugia in Greater Sage-Grouse Brood Habitat Selection. Current position: Oregon Hunters Association, Director of Conservation, Roseburg, OR. 

  • The Impacts of Juniper Removal on Native herbaceous Vegetation and Surface Dwelling invertebrates in the Sagebrush Steppe. Current position: US Fish & Wildlife Service Hart/Sheldon Refuge Complex Biologist, Lakeview, OR.

  • Greater Sage-Grouse Demographic Rates and Predator Communities in a Degraded Landscape in Modoc County, California. Current position: US Fish & Wildlife Service Biologist, Reno, NV.

Past Grad Students

  • Thermal Ecology and Population Dynamics of Female Greater Sage-Grouse Following Wildfire in the Trout Creek Mountains of OR & NV. Currently, employed at US Fish & Wildlife Service, Fire Management Program, National Monitoring Coordinator, Boise, ID.

  • Greater Sage-Grouse Demography, Habitat Selection, and Habitat Connectivity in Relation to Western Juniper and its Management. Currently, employed at Science Implementation Coordinator, Intermountain Joint Venture, Missoula, MT.

  • Demographic and habitat selection response of Greater Sage-Grouse to large-scale wildfire in southeastern Oregon.  Currently employed at ODFW as District Biologist, Hines, Oregon.

Post Doctoral Scholars

  • Evaluating the effects of hunter harvest on greater sage-grouse survival

  • Modeling sage-grouse productivity as a function of climate and mesic resources. Current position: USGS Research Scientist, Reno, NV.

  • Modeling annual changes in resource selection of sage-grouse in a post-megafire landscape. Current position, Assistant Professor Paul Smith College, NY. 

  • Univ. Idaho, Greater Sage-Response to Conifer Encroachment and Removal.  Currently, employed at USGS as research scientist, Anchorage, AK.

Past Post Doc

E-Campus Grad Students

  • I am currently a biologist with the Bureau of Reclamation working on the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Plan. We create and manage restoration sites along the river in Arizona, California, and Nevada and monitor 27 covered species. Previously I worked for the National Park Service in several different locations on the west coast. I have primarily worked with birds and bats, however, I've dabbled in reptile, fish, insect, small mammal, and vegetation work as well. I received my Bachelor's degree from Cal Poly Humboldt in biology with an emphasis on ecology and biodiversity spring 2015. I am now pursuing a professional master's degree in fisheries and wildlife administration in the Hagen Lab. The skills I learn from this program will fill my knowledge gap and help me to become a better biologist. In my free time I am an avid birder. I enjoy traveling with my partner looking for birds, reading, rock climbing, and playing board games. 

  • I have resided in Helena, Montana, for nearly my entire life.  I was surrounded by many opportunities to engage with Montana's varied landscapes, which instilled a profound appreciation for the outdoors from a young age. During my youth, I had the privilege to volunteer with a local fisheries biologist, which significantly influenced my career trajectory and solidified my desire to pursue a profession in natural resources. In pursuit of this goal, I remained in Helena for my undergraduate studies at Carroll College, where I earned a degree in Environmental Science. During this time, I focused my coursework on fisheries science and actively sought fisheries seasonal employment opportunities in Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Wisconsin. Following the completion of my undergraduate degree, I commenced my career with NorthWestern Energy, a local utility company in Montana, where I engage in environmental hydro compliance work. My responsibilities primarily encompass fisheries and aquatic research and monitoring linked to project effects of sustained hydropower operations on the rivers across Montana.

    In 2024, I enrolled in the Professional Science Master's degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Administration (PSMFWA) through the Ecampus program at Oregon State University while simultaneously continuing my employment with Northwestern Energy. Prior to my enrollment in this program, I commenced work on the Fisheries Management Graduate Certificate Program at OSU. During this period, I began to develop a project to fulfill the capstone requirement for the certificate.

    My capstone project, which will also serve as my PSMFWA project, investigates opportunities to enhance nesting bird habitat within an impaired ecosystem along Montana's upper Missouri River corridor. The scarcity of tree cavities for nesting bird species is a well-documented issue, primarily attributed to fifty years of hydroelectric flow modifications and other anthropogenic influences affecting cottonwood regeneration. I aim to explore habitat enhancement opportunities by constructing artificial cavities within relic cottonwood snags along the river corridor, which largely lies within the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument and is a designated National Wild and Scenic River. To date, I have initiated the construction of 56 artificial cavities in 41 relic cottonwood tree snags. I will monitor the occupancy and usage of these cavities over the next two years to assess whether this approach can effectively enhance the habitat for cavity-nesting species. This project addresses a wildlife and habitat requirement stipulated by a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 2188 license obligation for NorthWestern Energy, which operates the hydroelectric facilities along the Missouri River.

  • Growing up in Southern Oregon between the foothills of the Cascades and the Coastals, I developed an enthusiasm for wildlife and birdwatching.

    I discovered the world of birdwatching when I took a course on avian systematics during my undergraduate studies at Oregon State. Something about learning how to identify what was around me, opened my world up and revealed so many intricacies that I never knew existed. I completed my bachelors in Zoology from OSU in 2019, and have since obtained a graduate certificate in Wildlife Management through the OSU Ecampus. I have enjoyed spending my time since graduating, working seasonal field jobs and getting to learn more about the various ecosystems throughout the Pacific Northwest. I’ve mostly worked with birds, including such beauties as marbled murrelets and greater sage-grouse, but I have also spent time assisting in collecting data for fisheries work.

    I joined the Hagen Lab in 2025, pursuing a Professional Science Masters in Fisheries and Wildlife Administration. I am primarily interested in the breeding phenology and ecosystem interactions of waterfowl, sage-grouse, and seabirds. Everything I learn during this experience will help me strengthen my portfolio and learn how to aid conservation science to the best of my abilities.

  • Assessment of American Woodcock Singing-Ground Survey Timing in Pennsylvania, USA. Current position,

  • Prescribed Fire Strategy for Central Pine Barrens of Long Island, NY. Current position US Fish & Wildlife Service, Project Leader, Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

  • Heavy Metal Contamination Within Endemic Wetland Avian Guilds In The Forest Preserves Of Cook County, Il. Current position Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Illinois Resource Management Department, Wildlife Technician, Chicago, Il.

  • An Environmental Assessment for Upper Muddy and Webb Draw Pasture Allotments, WY: as it pertains to amphibians of conservation concern. Currently, employed as biologist for private firm.

Past E-Campus Students