Skills
Decisions from data; experimental & study design; GenAI (e.g., dual-prompting, multi-step reasoning, contextual understanding, intent recognition); statistical analysis & ML (e.g., hypothesis testing, causal inference, regression/time-series/hierarchical clustering); ETL; hyperparameter tuning; program R; high-dimensional data collection, cleaning, analysis, visualization, and interpretation; spatial analysis; commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity; communication; collaboration; public speaking; teaching; mentorship; writing; budget management
Education
Ph.D. Stanford University 2013
Department of Biological Sciences, Palo Alto, CA
M.S. Stanford University 2008
Department of Biological Sciences, Palo Alto, CA
GPA: 4.0/4.0
B.S. University of California, Berkeley 2005
Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, Berkeley, CA
Minor in Forestry and Natural Resources.
GPA: 3.9/4.0
CABRILLO COLLEGE, SANTA CRUZ 2003
A.S. Associate in Science with Honors. GPA:4.0/4.0
A.A. Associate in Arts with Honors. GPA: 4.0/4.0
Professional Experience
Participation in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs
Planning, conducting, and directing research (study design to reporting) to provide actionable insights based on novel data
Large-scale and high-complexity data collection & analysis including: data wrangling, cleaning, reshaping, dimension-
reduction, analytics, mining, visualization, and archiving
Program R
Use of advanced quantitative statistical and machine learning methods and spatial analytical techniques
Use of high-performance computing clusters to conduct analyses
Biological applications of computer science and collaborations with computer scientists
Develop project proposals, obtain competitive funding, coordination with personnel and stakeholders,
deploying field infrastructure
Forming and working with partnerships of stakeholders (government, non-profit, general public,
academia).
Written and verbal reporting to communicate complex analyses in straightforward and practical language
Spatial analyses, biogeography, landscape analyses, remote detection/tracking of wildlife
Balanced multiple responsibilities including allocating resources, budgeting, and identifying workforce and
organizational needs to establish and meet objectives. Experience includes recruiting, hiring, and
managing employees.
Method Qualitative 2023-Present
Chief Science Officer
University of Texas, Austin 2020-2025
Research Scientist
USDA Pacific Southwest Research Station 2015-2020
Postdoctoral Scholar
University of California, Los Angeles 2014-2015
La Kretz Conservation Postdoctoral Fellow
University of California, Davis (John Muir Inst. of the Environment) 2015-2018
Visiting Scholar
U.C. Los Angeles 2015-2018
Visiting Scholar
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University 2013-2018
Instructor/Researcher
JDR Environmental, Martinez, CA. 2013-2014
Research Biologist
San Francisco Public Utility Commission, San Francisco, CA. 2013
Biological Research Graduate Intern
Segue Music, West Hollywood, CA. 1998-2001
Computer Consultant, Audio Engineer
Publications and Patents
* indicates undergraduate co-author/advisee, ^indicates corresponding author
Russo, N., K. Gahm, M. Zuercher, K. Hernandez, R. Blakey, C. Niesner, E.S. Abelson. Monitoring animal movement diversity as a component of biodiversity. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. In review
Contina, A., E.S. Abelson, B. Allison, B. Stokes, K.F. Sanchez, H.M. Hernandez, A.M. Kepple, Q. Tran, I. Kazen, K.A. Brown, H.J. Powell, T.H. Keitt. BioSense, An Automated sensing node for organismal and environmental biology. HardwareX. (2024)
Barrientos, R., W. Vickers, T. Longcore, E.S. Abelson, J. Dellinger, D.P. Waetjen, G. Fandos, F.M. Shilling. Nearby night lighting, rather than sky glow, is associated with habitat selection by a top predator in human-dominated landscapes. Philosophical Transations of the Royal Society B. (2023)
^Abelson, E.S., B. Seymoure, E.K. Perkin, A. Jechow, H. Moon, C.C.M. Kyba, F. Holker, J. White, T. Longcore. Ecological Aspects and Measurement of artificial light at night. Ecology Letters. In revision. Preprint available on SSRN: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4353905
*Valler, J., S. Riley, D.T. Blumstein, ^E.S. Abelson. Impact of extreme heat events on puma movement near the urban-wildland interface. Western wildlife. In prep.
^Abelson, E.S. White-flash film camera traps affect behavior and bias data collected for deer, Odocoileus hemionus. Western Wildlife. In submission
*Nojoumi, M., A.P. Clevenger, D.T. Blumstein, ^E.S. Abelson. Vehicular Traffic Effects on Elk and White-tailed Deer at Wildlife Crossings in Banff National Park. Plos ONE. 17(11): e0269587. (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269587) (2022)
^Abelson, E.S., K.M. Reynolds, A.M. White, J.W. Long, C. Maxwell, P.N. Manley. Evaluating pathways to social and ecological landscape resilience. Ecology and Society. 27(4):8. (https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13243-270408) (2022)
White, A.M., T.G. Holland, E.S. Abelson, A. Kretchun, C.J. Maxwell, R.M. Scheller. Simulating wildlife habitat dynamics to inform best management strategies under a changing climate in the Lake Tahoe basin, California. Ecology and Society. 27. (doi:10.5751/ES-13301-270231) (2022)
^Abelson, E.S., J. Sikich, S. Riley, D.T. Blumstein. Influence of anthropogenic light on puma road crossing movement. bioRxiv: doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.28.514303 (2022)
Keitt T., E.S. Abelson. Ecology in the age of automation. Science 373:6557, 858-859 (2021)
Niesner, C.A., R.V. Blakey, D.T. Blumstein, ^E.S. Abelson. Wildlife affordances of urban infrastructure: a framework to understand human-wildlife space use. Frontiers in Conservation Science. 2:774137 (2021)
^Abelson, E.S., K.M. Reynolds, P. N. Manley, S. Paplanus. Strategic decision support for long-term conservation management planning. Forest Ecology and Management. 497 (2021)
Miller, A.B., D. King, M. Rowland, J. Chapman, M. Tomosy, C. Liang, E.S. Abelson, R. Truex. Sustaining wildlife with recreation on public lands: a synthesis of research findings, management practices, and research needs. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-993. Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 226 p. 993 (2020).
^Abelson, E.S. Big brains reduce extinction risk in Carnivora. Oecologia (2019)
*Neco, L.C., E.S. Abelson, B. Natterson-Horowitz, D.T. Blumstein. The evolution of self-medication behaviour in mammals. Biol J Linn Soc 128, 373-378 (2019)
Boyston, E.E., E.S. Abelson, *A. Kazanjian, D.T. Blumstein. Canid vs. canid: insights into coyote-dog encounters from social media. Human Wildlife Interactions. (2018) 12(2), 9
^Abelson, E.S. Brain size is correlated with endangerment status in mammals. Proc. R. Soc. B. Vol. 283. No. 1825. The Royal Society, 2016.
Garcia-Molina, H., *S. Kandel, A. Paepcke, M. Theobald, and E.S. Abelson. ‘Spreadsheet system and method for managing photos,’ Patent publication number: US 2010/0058163 A1 U.S. Classification: 715/220
Sundaresan, S., C. Riginos, E.S. Abelson. Storage and analysis of camera trap data: alternative approaches (Response to Harris et al. 2010). The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 92.2 (2011): 188-195.
Kandel, S., E.S. Abelson, H. Garcia-Molina, A. Paepcke & M. Theobald. 2008. PhotoSpread: a spreadsheet for managing photos. Computer/Human Interactions, 2008 Proceedings 1749-1758. Available online at: http://dbpubs.stanford.edu:8090/pub/2007-28
Mentorship
Graduate student committee member: Academic barriers for disabled students in STEM
Graduate student committee member: Wildlife movement
Mentorship: Mentored 42 Stanford, U.C. Berkeley and U.C. Los Angeles, San Francisco, University, U.C. Davis, and U.T. Austin undergraduates, masters, and Ph.D. students; two high school students; and seven local volunteer/recent university graduates in research design, field work, database management and analysis. 2006-Present
Ph.D. student Mentor: Stanford Biosciences Student Association Mentorship program provides mentoring for 1st year Ph.D. students. Stanford University, CA. October 2011-2013
ESA SEEDS Mentor: Ecological Society of America program entitled, Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability, is a mentorship program that pairs ecologists with under-represented students. Portland, OR. 2012 ESA Annual Meeting
Presentations
INVITED SEMINARS
Wildlife Corridor Webinar, Environment California.Wildlife Corridors and Connectivity.September 2021.Los Angeles, CA.
La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science 2021 Public Lecture. May 2021.Los Angeles, CA.
Abelson, E.S. Lake Tahoe West - synthesis of biophysical, ecological, economic, and social data.Lake Tahoe West symposium.May 2020.Lake Tahoe, CA.
Wildlife movement ecology, applications for conservation planning. The Nature Conservancy –
Connected Lands Strategy Team (Land Networks Program). December 2018, San Diego, CA.
Modeling wildlife movement for conservation planning. USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station, Conservation Biology. March 12, 2018, Davis, CA.
Modeling wildlife movement for conservation planning. California Department of Transportation – Environmental Planning Division. November 21, 2017, Marysville, CA.
Brain size as a predictor for extinction risk in mammals. U.C. Davis Animal Behavior Seminar Series, September 2017, Davis, CA.
Connectivity modeling. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation, March 2017, Bozeman, MT.
Connectivity modeling: modeling wildlife corridors. Innovative Approaches to Wildlife and Highway Interactions: Advanced Course in Transportation Ecology, July 28, 2016. Sagehen Creek Field Station, CA
Artificial light at night: impacts to mammals. International Dark-sky Association, November 2015. Phoenix, AZ
Wildlife movement and behavior at the roadside. La Kretz League, November 2014. La Kretz Field Station. Malibu, CA.
Wildlife movement and behavior at the roadside. Santa Monica Mountains Science Day, September 2014. Santa Monica Mountains National Park Service Headquarters. Thousand Oaks, CA
Integrating wildlife behavior and conservation in a changing world. Environmental Constraints on Cognition Seminar Series, February 2014. UC Berkeley. Berkeley, CA
Integrating wildlife behavior and conservation in a changing world. UCLA La Kretz Postdoctoral Fellow Seminar, October 2013. U.C.L.A. Los Angeles, CA
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
* indicates undergraduate co-author/advisee
Barrientos, R., T. Longcore, E.S. Abelson, J. Dellinger, D. Waetjen, B. Markman, F. Shilling. Human footprint and mountain lion territory use in human-dominated landscapes. Infrastructure & Ecology Network, September 22, 2022, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Saurabh, S., C. King, M. Marder, L. Lake, E.S. Abelson. An agent-based approach to studying energy and economic coupling in a limited-resourced society. University of Texas Energy Symposium, September 6, 2022, Austin, TX
*Gladden, N., S. Jha, E.S. Abelson, Griffin, S. Pollinator foraging is impacted by plant characteristics, environmental factors, and air pollution. Summer Research Symposium, July 28, 2022, Austin, TX. (poster presentation)
Saurabh, S., C.W. King, L. Lake, M. Marder, E.S. Abelson, L. Merceron. An agent-based approach to consumption, inequality in distribution and sustainability of a limited sourced energy-dependent society. Stanford Macro-Energy Systems Workshop, July 2022, Stanford, CA. (poster presentation)
Jacobson S., S. Crossen, E.S. Abelson. Carcass data: when fewer is not better. International Conference on Ecology & Transportation, September 24, 2019, Sacramento, CA. (poster presentation)
Abelson, E.S., S.A. Cushman. Modeling wildlife movement behavior to identify mitigation locations along linear barriers. The Western Section of the Wildlife Society Annual Meeting. February 6, 2019. Fish Camp, California.
Abelson, E.S., S. Cushman. Wildlife movement models for conservation planning along linear barriers. The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, October 2018, Cleveland, OH.
Abelson, E.S., S. Cushman. Conservation modeling to identify optimal barrier crossing-locations. Society for Conservation Biology: North American Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2018, Toronto, Ontario, CA.
Abelson, E.S. Applying wildlife movement modeling and behavior to inform highway mitigation activities. Bay-Area Conservation Biology Symposium, May 2018, Davis, CA.
Roe J.D., T. McCleary, E.S. Abelson. Efficacy of camera traps to detect herpetofauna with emphasis on the Alameda Whipsnake and San Francisco Garter Snake. The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, September 2017, Albuquerque, NM
Abelson E.S., S. Cushman. Modeling wildlife movement for conservation planning. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 2017, Portland, OR
Abelson, E.S., S. Jacobson. The importance of within-species wildlife behavior on mitigating mortalities and the barrier-effect of highways. International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, May 2017, Salt Lake City, UT
Abelson, E.S., S. Jacobson. Moving wildlife across roads with PSW Research Station. Women and Minorities in U.S.F.S. Research Workshop, October 2016, Portland, OR. (poster presentation)
Jacobson, S., C. de Rivera, E.S. Abelson. Impacts of roadways on wildlife: barrier impacts from vehicle-caused mortality and road avoidance on species and populations. Society for Conservation Biology: North American Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2016, Madison, WI
*Nojoumi, M., E.S. Abelson, A.P. Clevenger, D.T. Blumstein. Vehicular traffic effects on elk and white-tailed deer at wildlife crossings in Banff National Park. UCLA Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Poster Day, May 2016, Los Angeles, CA (poster presentation. Awarded second place in poster competition)
* Nojoumi, M., E.S. Abelson, A.P. Clevenger, D.T. Blumstein. Vehicular traffic effects on elk and white-tailed deer at wildlife crossings in Banff National Park. UCLA Science Poster Day, May 24 2016, Los Angeles, CA (poster presentation)
Abelson, E.S. , S.P.D. Riley, D.T. Blumstein. Wildlife movement, road ecology and impacts of wildlife perception. Organized session: “Road ecology – moving forward.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 2015, Baltimore, MD
*Kazanjian, A., E.S. Abelson, E.E. Boydston, D.T. Blumstein. Canid vs. canid: Using social media to understand coyote-dog encounters. UCLA Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Poster Day, May 2014, Los Angeles, CA (poster presentation)
*Kazanjian, A., E.S. Abelson, E.E. Boydston, D.T. Blumstein. Canid vs. canid: Using social media to understand coyote-dog encounters. UCLA Science Poster Day, May 2014, Los Angeles, CA (poster presentation)
*Zuckerwise, A., E.S. Abelson, R. Dirzo. Temporal overlap among wildlife species at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. Symposium of Undergraduate Research and Public Service, April 25 2015, Stanford, CA
*Neco, L.C., E.S. Abelson, A. Brown, B. Natterson-Horowitz, D.T. Blumstein. The Evolution of Self-Medication Behavior in Mammals. XXXII Encontro Anual de Etologia e V Simpósio Latino-americano de Etologia, November 18-21, 2014. Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil.
Abelson, E.S. Relative brain size as a predictor for mammalian extinction vulnerability. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 2012, Portland, OR
Abelson, E.S. Can brain size help predict conservation status of mammalian species? Society for Conservation Biology: North American Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2012, Oakland, CA
Abelson, E.S. Endocranial capacity as a predictor for extinction risk in mammals. The CHI Conference, September 14, 2011, Stanford, CA
Abelson, E.S. Are wildlife camera-shy? Capture bias and behavioral response to TrailMaster 1550 camera traps. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, September 20, 2009, Monterey, CA
Abelson, E.S. Camera-shy wildlife and capture bias: behavioral response to TrailMaster 1550 camera traps. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 6, 2009, Albuquerque, NM
Abelson, E.S. Behavioral Response to the TrailMaster 1550 via a Comparative Study of Two Detection Methods. Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium, January 31, 2009, Stanford, CA.
Kandel, S., E.S. Abelson, H. Garcia-Molina, A Paepcke & M. Theobald. PhotoSpread: a spreadsheet for managing photos. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 8, 2008, Florence, Italy.
Abelson, E.S. Behavioral Biases of Traditional Camera Trapping Methodologies. Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, April 08, 2007, Portola Valley, CA.
Abelson, E.S. Tracking as a wildlife survey technique. College of Natural Resources
Honors Research Symposium, May 11, 2005, Berkeley, CA.
* Indicates undergraduate mentee & co-author
Scientific Outreach & Professional Service
Service: U.T. Austin College of Natural Sciences; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee
member 2021-present
Service: Illuminating Engineering Society; Outdoor Nighttime Environments taskforce member 2022-present
Peer reviewer: Peer reviewer for Biological Conservation, PLOS ONE, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Biological Sciences, Journal of Mammalogy
Invited Workshop participant: Wildlife crossings experts meeting. Workshop on enhancing habitat connectivity for wildlife in the Santa Ana to Palomar Mountains region, California. February 2022.
Committee board member: Board member for the Animal Behavior Society’s Conservation Committee. 2014-2017.
Board of Directors: Amigos del Centro de Educacion Ambiental de las Peninsula Yucateca. Member of the board of directors for the 501 c3 non-profit organization based in Mexico with the mission of conserving and supporting of bio-cultural diversity through education, research and community. November 2012-2021.
Workshop participant: Effective Collaboration & Diversity in Scientific Teams. Workshop on cultural/gender diversity in the sciences and collaborations within and across disciplines. February 2015.
Workshop participant: Southern California Puma Project and National Park service three day workshop to identify optimal crossing locations. January 2015.
Committee member: Committee member for the UCLA La Kretz postdoctoral fellowship. 2013- 2014.
Workshop coordinator: Graduate student coordinator for the U.C. Santa Cruz/Stanford Species Interactions Workshop. December 1, 2012.
Guest speaker: Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve summer intern and technician program. Camera traps, tracking and animal behavior, Stanford, CA. July 20, 2012
Panel Speaker: Portola Valley Conservation Committee, Balancing Fire Safety with Habitat Preservation, Portola Valley, CA. October 4, 2011
Biological Preserve Advisory Committee Member: Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve Advisory Committee, Stanford, CA. October 2009-2011
Treasurer/Founding Officer: Society for Conservation Biology, Central California Coast Chapter, Founding board member. October 2007-2010
Science Advisor: Mammals Focus Team, San Francisco Bay Area Upland Habitat Goals Project/Bay Area Open Space Council. Assisted in identifying and selecting conservation targets to represent mammalian biodiversity & critical habitat in the broader bay area. 2008-2010
Volunteer, Preparation Lab: Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, CA. Processed wildlife specimens; archival skeletal museum accessions. 2004-2007
Treasurer: Society for Conservation Biology, Berkeley Chapter, Berkeley, CA. Organized chapter activities and field trips, facilitated meetings, and managed fiscal matters. 2004-2005
Botanical Liaison: Native plant restoration project, Strawberry Creek, Berkeley, CA. Assisted in determining appropriate plants for specific ecological communities. 2004-2005
Reports & Other Publications
Jonathan W. Long, Patricia N. Manley, Angela M. White, Keith M. Slauson, Stacy A. Drury, Eric
S. Abelson, Brandon M. Collins, Keith Reynolds, William Elliot and I. Sue Miller, Rob Scheller, Charles Maxwell, Mariana Dobre, Erin Brooks, Sam Evans, Tim Holland, Matthew Potts, Adrian Harpold, Sebastian Krogh Navarro, John Mejia, Chad Hoffman, Justin Ziegler. Lake Tahoe West Science Summary of Findings Report. Supporting long-term forest resilience in the Lake Tahoe basin. Lake Tahoe West Restoration Partnership. (November 3, 2020)
Selected Press
KTLA: As California eyes more wildlife crossings, researchers say some animals might be scared to use them. https://tinyurl.com/bdnes4dy. January 15, 2023
UCLA Newsroom: Is it safe? Why some animals fear using wildlife crossings. https://tinyurl.com/4mh5pxxf. December 22, 2022
Inside the Forest Service: Supporting long-term forest resilience in the Lake Tahoe basin. https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/delivering-mission/sustain/supporting-long-term-forest-resilience-lake-tahoe-basin. September 24, 2021
Lake Tahoe West Landscape Restoration Strategy. (https://www.nationalforests.org/assets/images/LTW-Landscape-Restoration-Strategy-02Dec2019-FINAL.pdf). December 2019
PSW Connections: Research project to help the science of wildlife passages along existing roadways. winter/spring/summer 2016 (http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/)
USFS The Chief’s Desk, People Places and Things: Science to guide California highway wildlife passages. July 20, 2016
Press coverage of Brain size is correlated with endangerment status in mammals published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biology 2016:
Interviews: Discovery Channel News, Ireland National Radio RTE Radio1, BBC Inside Science, Conservation Magazine, Stanford News Service
Also reported by: Agence France Presse, BBC.com, RiAus, The Japan Times, Science Alert, Tech Times, Nature World News, Daily Mail, Phys.org, Laboratory Equipment
Quest TV, KQED: Cameras capture the secret lives of Jasper Ridge animals. September 25, 2012 (http://science.kqed.org/quest/video/your-videos-on-quest-steve-fyffe)
ABC 7, 6pm News: Life after dark in a bay area forest. August 3, 2012 (http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8761455&pid=null)
Nature News & Scientific American: Mostly the big-brained survive. July 17, 2012 (http://www.nature.com/news/mostly-the-big-brained-survive-1.11027 & https://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=mostly-big-brained-survive)
Stanford News Service: Field research at Jasper Ridge, computers and cognition. (http://news.stanford.edu/news/multi/features/jasper/part5.html)
KZSU radio interview (Peninsula Report): Night life of local wildlife. June 8, 2012 (http://kzsunews.tumblr.com/post/24714505458/elizaonair-this-week-we-talk-the-night-life-of)
Stanford News Service, Video: Cameras capture biodiversity at Jasper Ridge preserve. June 1, 2012 (http://youtu.be/CzSCu2FOj0Q)
Stanford News Service: Caught on tape: The nightlife of animals at Stanford's Jasper Ridge preserve. May 31, 2012 (http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/june/jasper-ridge-cameras-060112.html)
Stanford Report: Jasper Ridge, Research in the Field at Stanford’s Biological Preserve;
Computers and Cognition. October 22, 2008 (also online at: http://multi.stanford.edu/features/jasper/part5.html)
Grants & Honors ($622,695 since 2020)
Actions that Promote Community Transformation, Super Seed Grant: Access needs for STEM Students with Disabilities. Co-PI. ($14,000). 2022-2023
Stengl-Wyer Grant: Integrating UT field stations into long-term, globally distributed ecological networks. Co-PI. ($147,792). 2022-2025
Planet Texas 2050 (subaward): Automated sensor arrays to address long-term ecological shifts. ($27,100). 2022-2023
Army Research Office (subaward): Science of embodied innovation, learning and control. ($27,496). 2021-2023
Stengl-Wyer Grant: Leveraging big data science for ecological research in an era of global change: a Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) plot at Stengl Lost Pines Biological Station. Co-PI. ($149,828). 2021-2022
Stengl-Wyer Endowment: Integration of machine learning and remote sensing for improved understanding of environmental change in central Texas. Co-PI. ($256,479). 2020-2023
USDA Forest Service: Exploring wildlife movements response to ephemeral vegetation dynamics – applying remote sensing to better understand wildlife movement at broad spatio-temporal scales. ($25,000). 2019-2024.
UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Post-doctoral Fellowship. 2014-2015
Southern California Research Learning Center’s Grant Program, 2014-2016
National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant, 2011-2013
Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Rising Environmental Leader
2012
Stanford Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Travel Grant, 2012
#SciFund Challenge, 2011
Stanford SCORE Grant, 2009 & 2010
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Honorable Mention, 2008
Gomez Grant for Wildlife Ecology, 2007
U.C. Berkeley Grants and Honors:
Highest honors in Conservation and Resource Studies, University of California, Berkeley. 2005
Honors in the College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley. 2005
University Honors, University of California, Berkeley. 2003-2005
Rosentiel Grant, 2005
Student Life Advising Grant, University of California, Berkeley, 2005
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Grant, College of Natural Resources, 2005
Allmond Scholarship, 2003-2004
Isais Hellman Scholarship, 2003-2004
University of California at Berkeley University Grant 2003-2004
Beth Blanchette Memorial Scholarship, 2003
Ongoing Collaborative Projects
Micro-to-Macro, UT Austin Energy Institute. Investigating how and if microscale processes
can be aggregated to consistently match macroscale patterns.
https://energy.utexas.edu/micro-macro. 2021-present
Resilient Species and Ecosystems, UT Austin Planet Texas 2050, Bridging Barriers.
https://bridgingbarriers.utexas.edu/resilient-species-and-ecosystems. 2022-present
Teaching
Guest lecturer, UT Austin: Science literacy and numeracy: ecology and evolution. Wildlife behavior and decision making. November 2022
Guest lecturer, UT Austin Bio 398E: Subjects and skills for graduate students II. Wildlife ecology at the intersection of conservation and behavior. March 27, 2019
Guest Lecturer, Stanford Biology 105, Ecology and Natural History of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. Wildlife ecology and tracking. Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Winter 2009-2018
Guest Lecturer, UCSC Environmental Science 169, Global Change Ecology. Climate change and wildlife. University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA. Winter 2014
Guest Lecturer, UCSC Environmental Science 104A. Introduction to Environmental Field Methods. Wildlife survey methods, monitoring and behavioral data collection. University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA. Summer 2013
Teaching Assistant, Stanford Biology 312. Ethical Issues in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Autumn 2008
Teaching Assistant, Stanford Biology 145/245. Behavioral Ecology. Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Spring 2008
OUTREACH TEACHING
Panelist: Stanford Biology Career Panel. February 22, 2018.
Contributor: Educurious Non-profit K-12 curriculum developers: Camera trapping as a tool to understand wildlife behavior and ecology. April 10, 2012
Lecturer: Splash! Stanford Educational Studies Program for high school students: Why are some species endangered? Conservation Biology 101. Stanford University, Stanford, CA. April 2012
Mammal Identification Guide: Stanford BioBlitz, Stanford, CA. Led citizen science mammalian rapid biodiversity assessment. April 2011 & 2012
Volunteer instructor: Redwood High School Continuation Campus R.E.A.L. (Redwood Environmental Academy of Leadership), Redwood City, CA. Taught topics ranging from evolutionary biology to wildlife tracking. 2011
Lecturer/Volunteer, Splash! Stanford Educational Studies Program for high school students: Wildlife tracking: Stanford University, Stanford, CA. 2009, 2010, 2011
Presenter, Jordan Middle School Science Night: Hands-on demonstration of remote detection of wildlife using various camera-trap technologies. Jordan middle school, Palo Alto, CA. January 2010.
Volunteer, Plant Survey: Point Reyes Rare Plant-A-Thon, Point Reyes, CA. Assisted in documenting, mapping, and inventory of rare plant populations at the Point Reyes National Seashore. 2003
Volunteer, Tracking Survey: Peninsula Open Space Trust, Pescadero, CA. Worked with a team of trackers on a week-long wildlife presence or absence project 2001
Decisions from data; experimental & study design; GenAI (e.g., dual-prompting, multi-step reasoning, contextual understanding, intent recognition); statistical analysis & ML (e.g., hypothesis testing, causal inference, regression/time-series/hierarchical clustering); ETL; hyperparameter tuning; program R; high-dimensional data collection, cleaning, analysis, visualization, and interpretation; spatial analysis; commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity; communication; collaboration; public speaking; teaching; mentorship; writing; budget management
Education
Ph.D. Stanford University 2013
Department of Biological Sciences, Palo Alto, CA
M.S. Stanford University 2008
Department of Biological Sciences, Palo Alto, CA
GPA: 4.0/4.0
B.S. University of California, Berkeley 2005
Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, Berkeley, CA
Minor in Forestry and Natural Resources.
GPA: 3.9/4.0
CABRILLO COLLEGE, SANTA CRUZ 2003
A.S. Associate in Science with Honors. GPA:4.0/4.0
A.A. Associate in Arts with Honors. GPA: 4.0/4.0
Professional Experience
Participation in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs
Planning, conducting, and directing research (study design to reporting) to provide actionable insights based on novel data
Large-scale and high-complexity data collection & analysis including: data wrangling, cleaning, reshaping, dimension-
reduction, analytics, mining, visualization, and archiving
Program R
Use of advanced quantitative statistical and machine learning methods and spatial analytical techniques
Use of high-performance computing clusters to conduct analyses
Biological applications of computer science and collaborations with computer scientists
Develop project proposals, obtain competitive funding, coordination with personnel and stakeholders,
deploying field infrastructure
Forming and working with partnerships of stakeholders (government, non-profit, general public,
academia).
Written and verbal reporting to communicate complex analyses in straightforward and practical language
Spatial analyses, biogeography, landscape analyses, remote detection/tracking of wildlife
Balanced multiple responsibilities including allocating resources, budgeting, and identifying workforce and
organizational needs to establish and meet objectives. Experience includes recruiting, hiring, and
managing employees.
Method Qualitative 2023-Present
Chief Science Officer
University of Texas, Austin 2020-2025
Research Scientist
USDA Pacific Southwest Research Station 2015-2020
Postdoctoral Scholar
University of California, Los Angeles 2014-2015
La Kretz Conservation Postdoctoral Fellow
University of California, Davis (John Muir Inst. of the Environment) 2015-2018
Visiting Scholar
U.C. Los Angeles 2015-2018
Visiting Scholar
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University 2013-2018
Instructor/Researcher
JDR Environmental, Martinez, CA. 2013-2014
Research Biologist
San Francisco Public Utility Commission, San Francisco, CA. 2013
Biological Research Graduate Intern
Segue Music, West Hollywood, CA. 1998-2001
Computer Consultant, Audio Engineer
Publications and Patents
* indicates undergraduate co-author/advisee, ^indicates corresponding author
Russo, N., K. Gahm, M. Zuercher, K. Hernandez, R. Blakey, C. Niesner, E.S. Abelson. Monitoring animal movement diversity as a component of biodiversity. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. In review
Contina, A., E.S. Abelson, B. Allison, B. Stokes, K.F. Sanchez, H.M. Hernandez, A.M. Kepple, Q. Tran, I. Kazen, K.A. Brown, H.J. Powell, T.H. Keitt. BioSense, An Automated sensing node for organismal and environmental biology. HardwareX. (2024)
Barrientos, R., W. Vickers, T. Longcore, E.S. Abelson, J. Dellinger, D.P. Waetjen, G. Fandos, F.M. Shilling. Nearby night lighting, rather than sky glow, is associated with habitat selection by a top predator in human-dominated landscapes. Philosophical Transations of the Royal Society B. (2023)
^Abelson, E.S., B. Seymoure, E.K. Perkin, A. Jechow, H. Moon, C.C.M. Kyba, F. Holker, J. White, T. Longcore. Ecological Aspects and Measurement of artificial light at night. Ecology Letters. In revision. Preprint available on SSRN: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4353905
*Valler, J., S. Riley, D.T. Blumstein, ^E.S. Abelson. Impact of extreme heat events on puma movement near the urban-wildland interface. Western wildlife. In prep.
^Abelson, E.S. White-flash film camera traps affect behavior and bias data collected for deer, Odocoileus hemionus. Western Wildlife. In submission
*Nojoumi, M., A.P. Clevenger, D.T. Blumstein, ^E.S. Abelson. Vehicular Traffic Effects on Elk and White-tailed Deer at Wildlife Crossings in Banff National Park. Plos ONE. 17(11): e0269587. (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269587) (2022)
^Abelson, E.S., K.M. Reynolds, A.M. White, J.W. Long, C. Maxwell, P.N. Manley. Evaluating pathways to social and ecological landscape resilience. Ecology and Society. 27(4):8. (https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13243-270408) (2022)
White, A.M., T.G. Holland, E.S. Abelson, A. Kretchun, C.J. Maxwell, R.M. Scheller. Simulating wildlife habitat dynamics to inform best management strategies under a changing climate in the Lake Tahoe basin, California. Ecology and Society. 27. (doi:10.5751/ES-13301-270231) (2022)
^Abelson, E.S., J. Sikich, S. Riley, D.T. Blumstein. Influence of anthropogenic light on puma road crossing movement. bioRxiv: doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.28.514303 (2022)
Keitt T., E.S. Abelson. Ecology in the age of automation. Science 373:6557, 858-859 (2021)
Niesner, C.A., R.V. Blakey, D.T. Blumstein, ^E.S. Abelson. Wildlife affordances of urban infrastructure: a framework to understand human-wildlife space use. Frontiers in Conservation Science. 2:774137 (2021)
^Abelson, E.S., K.M. Reynolds, P. N. Manley, S. Paplanus. Strategic decision support for long-term conservation management planning. Forest Ecology and Management. 497 (2021)
Miller, A.B., D. King, M. Rowland, J. Chapman, M. Tomosy, C. Liang, E.S. Abelson, R. Truex. Sustaining wildlife with recreation on public lands: a synthesis of research findings, management practices, and research needs. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-993. Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 226 p. 993 (2020).
^Abelson, E.S. Big brains reduce extinction risk in Carnivora. Oecologia (2019)
*Neco, L.C., E.S. Abelson, B. Natterson-Horowitz, D.T. Blumstein. The evolution of self-medication behaviour in mammals. Biol J Linn Soc 128, 373-378 (2019)
Boyston, E.E., E.S. Abelson, *A. Kazanjian, D.T. Blumstein. Canid vs. canid: insights into coyote-dog encounters from social media. Human Wildlife Interactions. (2018) 12(2), 9
^Abelson, E.S. Brain size is correlated with endangerment status in mammals. Proc. R. Soc. B. Vol. 283. No. 1825. The Royal Society, 2016.
Garcia-Molina, H., *S. Kandel, A. Paepcke, M. Theobald, and E.S. Abelson. ‘Spreadsheet system and method for managing photos,’ Patent publication number: US 2010/0058163 A1 U.S. Classification: 715/220
Sundaresan, S., C. Riginos, E.S. Abelson. Storage and analysis of camera trap data: alternative approaches (Response to Harris et al. 2010). The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 92.2 (2011): 188-195.
Kandel, S., E.S. Abelson, H. Garcia-Molina, A. Paepcke & M. Theobald. 2008. PhotoSpread: a spreadsheet for managing photos. Computer/Human Interactions, 2008 Proceedings 1749-1758. Available online at: http://dbpubs.stanford.edu:8090/pub/2007-28
Mentorship
Graduate student committee member: Academic barriers for disabled students in STEM
Graduate student committee member: Wildlife movement
Mentorship: Mentored 42 Stanford, U.C. Berkeley and U.C. Los Angeles, San Francisco, University, U.C. Davis, and U.T. Austin undergraduates, masters, and Ph.D. students; two high school students; and seven local volunteer/recent university graduates in research design, field work, database management and analysis. 2006-Present
Ph.D. student Mentor: Stanford Biosciences Student Association Mentorship program provides mentoring for 1st year Ph.D. students. Stanford University, CA. October 2011-2013
ESA SEEDS Mentor: Ecological Society of America program entitled, Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability, is a mentorship program that pairs ecologists with under-represented students. Portland, OR. 2012 ESA Annual Meeting
Presentations
INVITED SEMINARS
Wildlife Corridor Webinar, Environment California.Wildlife Corridors and Connectivity.September 2021.Los Angeles, CA.
La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science 2021 Public Lecture. May 2021.Los Angeles, CA.
Abelson, E.S. Lake Tahoe West - synthesis of biophysical, ecological, economic, and social data.Lake Tahoe West symposium.May 2020.Lake Tahoe, CA.
Wildlife movement ecology, applications for conservation planning. The Nature Conservancy –
Connected Lands Strategy Team (Land Networks Program). December 2018, San Diego, CA.
Modeling wildlife movement for conservation planning. USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station, Conservation Biology. March 12, 2018, Davis, CA.
Modeling wildlife movement for conservation planning. California Department of Transportation – Environmental Planning Division. November 21, 2017, Marysville, CA.
Brain size as a predictor for extinction risk in mammals. U.C. Davis Animal Behavior Seminar Series, September 2017, Davis, CA.
Connectivity modeling. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation, March 2017, Bozeman, MT.
Connectivity modeling: modeling wildlife corridors. Innovative Approaches to Wildlife and Highway Interactions: Advanced Course in Transportation Ecology, July 28, 2016. Sagehen Creek Field Station, CA
Artificial light at night: impacts to mammals. International Dark-sky Association, November 2015. Phoenix, AZ
Wildlife movement and behavior at the roadside. La Kretz League, November 2014. La Kretz Field Station. Malibu, CA.
Wildlife movement and behavior at the roadside. Santa Monica Mountains Science Day, September 2014. Santa Monica Mountains National Park Service Headquarters. Thousand Oaks, CA
Integrating wildlife behavior and conservation in a changing world. Environmental Constraints on Cognition Seminar Series, February 2014. UC Berkeley. Berkeley, CA
Integrating wildlife behavior and conservation in a changing world. UCLA La Kretz Postdoctoral Fellow Seminar, October 2013. U.C.L.A. Los Angeles, CA
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
* indicates undergraduate co-author/advisee
Barrientos, R., T. Longcore, E.S. Abelson, J. Dellinger, D. Waetjen, B. Markman, F. Shilling. Human footprint and mountain lion territory use in human-dominated landscapes. Infrastructure & Ecology Network, September 22, 2022, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Saurabh, S., C. King, M. Marder, L. Lake, E.S. Abelson. An agent-based approach to studying energy and economic coupling in a limited-resourced society. University of Texas Energy Symposium, September 6, 2022, Austin, TX
*Gladden, N., S. Jha, E.S. Abelson, Griffin, S. Pollinator foraging is impacted by plant characteristics, environmental factors, and air pollution. Summer Research Symposium, July 28, 2022, Austin, TX. (poster presentation)
Saurabh, S., C.W. King, L. Lake, M. Marder, E.S. Abelson, L. Merceron. An agent-based approach to consumption, inequality in distribution and sustainability of a limited sourced energy-dependent society. Stanford Macro-Energy Systems Workshop, July 2022, Stanford, CA. (poster presentation)
Jacobson S., S. Crossen, E.S. Abelson. Carcass data: when fewer is not better. International Conference on Ecology & Transportation, September 24, 2019, Sacramento, CA. (poster presentation)
Abelson, E.S., S.A. Cushman. Modeling wildlife movement behavior to identify mitigation locations along linear barriers. The Western Section of the Wildlife Society Annual Meeting. February 6, 2019. Fish Camp, California.
Abelson, E.S., S. Cushman. Wildlife movement models for conservation planning along linear barriers. The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, October 2018, Cleveland, OH.
Abelson, E.S., S. Cushman. Conservation modeling to identify optimal barrier crossing-locations. Society for Conservation Biology: North American Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2018, Toronto, Ontario, CA.
Abelson, E.S. Applying wildlife movement modeling and behavior to inform highway mitigation activities. Bay-Area Conservation Biology Symposium, May 2018, Davis, CA.
Roe J.D., T. McCleary, E.S. Abelson. Efficacy of camera traps to detect herpetofauna with emphasis on the Alameda Whipsnake and San Francisco Garter Snake. The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, September 2017, Albuquerque, NM
Abelson E.S., S. Cushman. Modeling wildlife movement for conservation planning. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 2017, Portland, OR
Abelson, E.S., S. Jacobson. The importance of within-species wildlife behavior on mitigating mortalities and the barrier-effect of highways. International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, May 2017, Salt Lake City, UT
Abelson, E.S., S. Jacobson. Moving wildlife across roads with PSW Research Station. Women and Minorities in U.S.F.S. Research Workshop, October 2016, Portland, OR. (poster presentation)
Jacobson, S., C. de Rivera, E.S. Abelson. Impacts of roadways on wildlife: barrier impacts from vehicle-caused mortality and road avoidance on species and populations. Society for Conservation Biology: North American Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2016, Madison, WI
*Nojoumi, M., E.S. Abelson, A.P. Clevenger, D.T. Blumstein. Vehicular traffic effects on elk and white-tailed deer at wildlife crossings in Banff National Park. UCLA Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Poster Day, May 2016, Los Angeles, CA (poster presentation. Awarded second place in poster competition)
* Nojoumi, M., E.S. Abelson, A.P. Clevenger, D.T. Blumstein. Vehicular traffic effects on elk and white-tailed deer at wildlife crossings in Banff National Park. UCLA Science Poster Day, May 24 2016, Los Angeles, CA (poster presentation)
Abelson, E.S. , S.P.D. Riley, D.T. Blumstein. Wildlife movement, road ecology and impacts of wildlife perception. Organized session: “Road ecology – moving forward.” Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 2015, Baltimore, MD
*Kazanjian, A., E.S. Abelson, E.E. Boydston, D.T. Blumstein. Canid vs. canid: Using social media to understand coyote-dog encounters. UCLA Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Poster Day, May 2014, Los Angeles, CA (poster presentation)
*Kazanjian, A., E.S. Abelson, E.E. Boydston, D.T. Blumstein. Canid vs. canid: Using social media to understand coyote-dog encounters. UCLA Science Poster Day, May 2014, Los Angeles, CA (poster presentation)
*Zuckerwise, A., E.S. Abelson, R. Dirzo. Temporal overlap among wildlife species at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. Symposium of Undergraduate Research and Public Service, April 25 2015, Stanford, CA
*Neco, L.C., E.S. Abelson, A. Brown, B. Natterson-Horowitz, D.T. Blumstein. The Evolution of Self-Medication Behavior in Mammals. XXXII Encontro Anual de Etologia e V Simpósio Latino-americano de Etologia, November 18-21, 2014. Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil.
Abelson, E.S. Relative brain size as a predictor for mammalian extinction vulnerability. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 2012, Portland, OR
Abelson, E.S. Can brain size help predict conservation status of mammalian species? Society for Conservation Biology: North American Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2012, Oakland, CA
Abelson, E.S. Endocranial capacity as a predictor for extinction risk in mammals. The CHI Conference, September 14, 2011, Stanford, CA
Abelson, E.S. Are wildlife camera-shy? Capture bias and behavioral response to TrailMaster 1550 camera traps. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, September 20, 2009, Monterey, CA
Abelson, E.S. Camera-shy wildlife and capture bias: behavioral response to TrailMaster 1550 camera traps. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 6, 2009, Albuquerque, NM
Abelson, E.S. Behavioral Response to the TrailMaster 1550 via a Comparative Study of Two Detection Methods. Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium, January 31, 2009, Stanford, CA.
Kandel, S., E.S. Abelson, H. Garcia-Molina, A Paepcke & M. Theobald. PhotoSpread: a spreadsheet for managing photos. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 8, 2008, Florence, Italy.
Abelson, E.S. Behavioral Biases of Traditional Camera Trapping Methodologies. Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, April 08, 2007, Portola Valley, CA.
Abelson, E.S. Tracking as a wildlife survey technique. College of Natural Resources
Honors Research Symposium, May 11, 2005, Berkeley, CA.
* Indicates undergraduate mentee & co-author
Scientific Outreach & Professional Service
Service: U.T. Austin College of Natural Sciences; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee
member 2021-present
Service: Illuminating Engineering Society; Outdoor Nighttime Environments taskforce member 2022-present
Peer reviewer: Peer reviewer for Biological Conservation, PLOS ONE, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Biological Sciences, Journal of Mammalogy
Invited Workshop participant: Wildlife crossings experts meeting. Workshop on enhancing habitat connectivity for wildlife in the Santa Ana to Palomar Mountains region, California. February 2022.
Committee board member: Board member for the Animal Behavior Society’s Conservation Committee. 2014-2017.
Board of Directors: Amigos del Centro de Educacion Ambiental de las Peninsula Yucateca. Member of the board of directors for the 501 c3 non-profit organization based in Mexico with the mission of conserving and supporting of bio-cultural diversity through education, research and community. November 2012-2021.
Workshop participant: Effective Collaboration & Diversity in Scientific Teams. Workshop on cultural/gender diversity in the sciences and collaborations within and across disciplines. February 2015.
Workshop participant: Southern California Puma Project and National Park service three day workshop to identify optimal crossing locations. January 2015.
Committee member: Committee member for the UCLA La Kretz postdoctoral fellowship. 2013- 2014.
Workshop coordinator: Graduate student coordinator for the U.C. Santa Cruz/Stanford Species Interactions Workshop. December 1, 2012.
Guest speaker: Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve summer intern and technician program. Camera traps, tracking and animal behavior, Stanford, CA. July 20, 2012
Panel Speaker: Portola Valley Conservation Committee, Balancing Fire Safety with Habitat Preservation, Portola Valley, CA. October 4, 2011
Biological Preserve Advisory Committee Member: Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve Advisory Committee, Stanford, CA. October 2009-2011
Treasurer/Founding Officer: Society for Conservation Biology, Central California Coast Chapter, Founding board member. October 2007-2010
Science Advisor: Mammals Focus Team, San Francisco Bay Area Upland Habitat Goals Project/Bay Area Open Space Council. Assisted in identifying and selecting conservation targets to represent mammalian biodiversity & critical habitat in the broader bay area. 2008-2010
Volunteer, Preparation Lab: Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, CA. Processed wildlife specimens; archival skeletal museum accessions. 2004-2007
Treasurer: Society for Conservation Biology, Berkeley Chapter, Berkeley, CA. Organized chapter activities and field trips, facilitated meetings, and managed fiscal matters. 2004-2005
Botanical Liaison: Native plant restoration project, Strawberry Creek, Berkeley, CA. Assisted in determining appropriate plants for specific ecological communities. 2004-2005
Reports & Other Publications
Jonathan W. Long, Patricia N. Manley, Angela M. White, Keith M. Slauson, Stacy A. Drury, Eric
S. Abelson, Brandon M. Collins, Keith Reynolds, William Elliot and I. Sue Miller, Rob Scheller, Charles Maxwell, Mariana Dobre, Erin Brooks, Sam Evans, Tim Holland, Matthew Potts, Adrian Harpold, Sebastian Krogh Navarro, John Mejia, Chad Hoffman, Justin Ziegler. Lake Tahoe West Science Summary of Findings Report. Supporting long-term forest resilience in the Lake Tahoe basin. Lake Tahoe West Restoration Partnership. (November 3, 2020)
Selected Press
KTLA: As California eyes more wildlife crossings, researchers say some animals might be scared to use them. https://tinyurl.com/bdnes4dy. January 15, 2023
UCLA Newsroom: Is it safe? Why some animals fear using wildlife crossings. https://tinyurl.com/4mh5pxxf. December 22, 2022
Inside the Forest Service: Supporting long-term forest resilience in the Lake Tahoe basin. https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/delivering-mission/sustain/supporting-long-term-forest-resilience-lake-tahoe-basin. September 24, 2021
Lake Tahoe West Landscape Restoration Strategy. (https://www.nationalforests.org/assets/images/LTW-Landscape-Restoration-Strategy-02Dec2019-FINAL.pdf). December 2019
PSW Connections: Research project to help the science of wildlife passages along existing roadways. winter/spring/summer 2016 (http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/)
USFS The Chief’s Desk, People Places and Things: Science to guide California highway wildlife passages. July 20, 2016
Press coverage of Brain size is correlated with endangerment status in mammals published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biology 2016:
Interviews: Discovery Channel News, Ireland National Radio RTE Radio1, BBC Inside Science, Conservation Magazine, Stanford News Service
Also reported by: Agence France Presse, BBC.com, RiAus, The Japan Times, Science Alert, Tech Times, Nature World News, Daily Mail, Phys.org, Laboratory Equipment
Quest TV, KQED: Cameras capture the secret lives of Jasper Ridge animals. September 25, 2012 (http://science.kqed.org/quest/video/your-videos-on-quest-steve-fyffe)
ABC 7, 6pm News: Life after dark in a bay area forest. August 3, 2012 (http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8761455&pid=null)
Nature News & Scientific American: Mostly the big-brained survive. July 17, 2012 (http://www.nature.com/news/mostly-the-big-brained-survive-1.11027 & https://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=mostly-big-brained-survive)
Stanford News Service: Field research at Jasper Ridge, computers and cognition. (http://news.stanford.edu/news/multi/features/jasper/part5.html)
KZSU radio interview (Peninsula Report): Night life of local wildlife. June 8, 2012 (http://kzsunews.tumblr.com/post/24714505458/elizaonair-this-week-we-talk-the-night-life-of)
Stanford News Service, Video: Cameras capture biodiversity at Jasper Ridge preserve. June 1, 2012 (http://youtu.be/CzSCu2FOj0Q)
Stanford News Service: Caught on tape: The nightlife of animals at Stanford's Jasper Ridge preserve. May 31, 2012 (http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/june/jasper-ridge-cameras-060112.html)
Stanford Report: Jasper Ridge, Research in the Field at Stanford’s Biological Preserve;
Computers and Cognition. October 22, 2008 (also online at: http://multi.stanford.edu/features/jasper/part5.html)
Grants & Honors ($622,695 since 2020)
Actions that Promote Community Transformation, Super Seed Grant: Access needs for STEM Students with Disabilities. Co-PI. ($14,000). 2022-2023
Stengl-Wyer Grant: Integrating UT field stations into long-term, globally distributed ecological networks. Co-PI. ($147,792). 2022-2025
Planet Texas 2050 (subaward): Automated sensor arrays to address long-term ecological shifts. ($27,100). 2022-2023
Army Research Office (subaward): Science of embodied innovation, learning and control. ($27,496). 2021-2023
Stengl-Wyer Grant: Leveraging big data science for ecological research in an era of global change: a Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) plot at Stengl Lost Pines Biological Station. Co-PI. ($149,828). 2021-2022
Stengl-Wyer Endowment: Integration of machine learning and remote sensing for improved understanding of environmental change in central Texas. Co-PI. ($256,479). 2020-2023
USDA Forest Service: Exploring wildlife movements response to ephemeral vegetation dynamics – applying remote sensing to better understand wildlife movement at broad spatio-temporal scales. ($25,000). 2019-2024.
UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, Post-doctoral Fellowship. 2014-2015
Southern California Research Learning Center’s Grant Program, 2014-2016
National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant, 2011-2013
Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Rising Environmental Leader
2012
Stanford Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Travel Grant, 2012
#SciFund Challenge, 2011
Stanford SCORE Grant, 2009 & 2010
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Honorable Mention, 2008
Gomez Grant for Wildlife Ecology, 2007
U.C. Berkeley Grants and Honors:
Highest honors in Conservation and Resource Studies, University of California, Berkeley. 2005
Honors in the College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley. 2005
University Honors, University of California, Berkeley. 2003-2005
Rosentiel Grant, 2005
Student Life Advising Grant, University of California, Berkeley, 2005
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Grant, College of Natural Resources, 2005
Allmond Scholarship, 2003-2004
Isais Hellman Scholarship, 2003-2004
University of California at Berkeley University Grant 2003-2004
Beth Blanchette Memorial Scholarship, 2003
Ongoing Collaborative Projects
Micro-to-Macro, UT Austin Energy Institute. Investigating how and if microscale processes
can be aggregated to consistently match macroscale patterns.
https://energy.utexas.edu/micro-macro. 2021-present
Resilient Species and Ecosystems, UT Austin Planet Texas 2050, Bridging Barriers.
https://bridgingbarriers.utexas.edu/resilient-species-and-ecosystems. 2022-present
Teaching
Guest lecturer, UT Austin: Science literacy and numeracy: ecology and evolution. Wildlife behavior and decision making. November 2022
Guest lecturer, UT Austin Bio 398E: Subjects and skills for graduate students II. Wildlife ecology at the intersection of conservation and behavior. March 27, 2019
Guest Lecturer, Stanford Biology 105, Ecology and Natural History of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. Wildlife ecology and tracking. Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Winter 2009-2018
Guest Lecturer, UCSC Environmental Science 169, Global Change Ecology. Climate change and wildlife. University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA. Winter 2014
Guest Lecturer, UCSC Environmental Science 104A. Introduction to Environmental Field Methods. Wildlife survey methods, monitoring and behavioral data collection. University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA. Summer 2013
Teaching Assistant, Stanford Biology 312. Ethical Issues in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Autumn 2008
Teaching Assistant, Stanford Biology 145/245. Behavioral Ecology. Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Spring 2008
OUTREACH TEACHING
Panelist: Stanford Biology Career Panel. February 22, 2018.
Contributor: Educurious Non-profit K-12 curriculum developers: Camera trapping as a tool to understand wildlife behavior and ecology. April 10, 2012
Lecturer: Splash! Stanford Educational Studies Program for high school students: Why are some species endangered? Conservation Biology 101. Stanford University, Stanford, CA. April 2012
Mammal Identification Guide: Stanford BioBlitz, Stanford, CA. Led citizen science mammalian rapid biodiversity assessment. April 2011 & 2012
Volunteer instructor: Redwood High School Continuation Campus R.E.A.L. (Redwood Environmental Academy of Leadership), Redwood City, CA. Taught topics ranging from evolutionary biology to wildlife tracking. 2011
Lecturer/Volunteer, Splash! Stanford Educational Studies Program for high school students: Wildlife tracking: Stanford University, Stanford, CA. 2009, 2010, 2011
Presenter, Jordan Middle School Science Night: Hands-on demonstration of remote detection of wildlife using various camera-trap technologies. Jordan middle school, Palo Alto, CA. January 2010.
Volunteer, Plant Survey: Point Reyes Rare Plant-A-Thon, Point Reyes, CA. Assisted in documenting, mapping, and inventory of rare plant populations at the Point Reyes National Seashore. 2003
Volunteer, Tracking Survey: Peninsula Open Space Trust, Pescadero, CA. Worked with a team of trackers on a week-long wildlife presence or absence project 2001
