Featured: Rebecca Christoffel

I am a trans-disciplinary researcher, who is most interested in the integration of ecological and sociological data to inform natural resource management decisions and actions. In the past, I have conducted a number of small-scale, ecological studies on rare amphibians and reptiles. As a Master’s student, my research integrated ecological and sociological aspects of white-tailed deer management. My doctoral research focused on the human dimensions of rare snake conservation in the Midwestern United States.  Currently, my research interests include the impacts of increasing human-wildlife interactions and conflicts to wildlife management and conservation, participatory natural  resource management including the roles of outreach and communication in such efforts, risk perception and analysis in conservation, and impacts of personal networks and community-level factors on individual beliefs, attitudes and behaviors associated with natural resources.