Graduate student spotlight: Scott Leorna
July 20, 2022
Scott Leorna, current Ph.D. student in Biological Sciences, has always had a strong passion for wildlife and the outdoors. In fact, it was this interest, coupled with Alaska鈥檚 extensive wilderness and opportunities for research, that led Scott to initially attend 香港六合彩官网资料 to pursue his B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Conservation.
During his undergraduate studies, Scott worked with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to assess the effects of daily weather conditions on hunter harvest success of Dall鈥檚 sheep across Alaska. The overarching goal of the project was to inform how wildlife managers and users may respond to and adapt to a rapidly changing climate.
As a M.S. student, Scott's research continued to expound upon the human dimensions of the wildlife field. Using surveys and an app-based citizen science approach, Scott gathered hunters鈥 insights into caribou population dynamics and monitoring strategies, identified how they engage with other wildlife stakeholders, and solicited ideas to encourage more effective communication between hunters, wildlife users, managers, and decision-makers.
In his Ph.D. studies, Scott鈥檚 research focuses on strategies for the use of remotely triggered cameras (i.e. camera traps) to monitor changes to caribou and other wildlife. According to Scott, enhancing wildlife monitoring strategies is timely and desperately needed in the Arctic due to climate change and continued expansion of human development. 鈥淕aining a more robust and comprehensive understanding of factors influencing wildlife populations will be imperative to making well-informed and responsible management and policy decisions,鈥 he explains.
Scott says being a first-generation college student 鈥渕ade preparing for and navigating the college experience particularly unfamiliar and challenging.鈥 He adds 鈥渂alancing my roles and responsibilities as a student, spouse, and parent has been tremendously challenging鈥, and thanks his mentor Dr. Todd Brinkman for his support, motivation, and guidance. Scott鈥檚 advice to incoming or current students is to 鈥渟urround yourself with people who inspire you to be your best self.鈥
After graduation, Scott plans to continue working in the human dimensions of the wildlife field which he explained 鈥渋ntegrates what I am passionate about (e.g., wildlife and the outdoors) with a critically important and underrepresented factor influencing its conservation (e.g., human behavior).鈥 More information about Scott and his research
To learn more about graduate programs at 香港六合彩官网资料, email the Graduate School or visit the Graduate School website.