Grad Students


  • I have always placed my roots in the high desert, it is my passion and my home. I originally come from Reno, NV, the first place I learned to love the smell of sage and rabbitbrush. I wouldn’t say I came from a particularly “outdoorsy” family, unlike many people in the wildlife field,. My passion for wildlife started from watching documentaries and hoping one day, I will be the one studying and researching these animals. Well, here I am!

    After obtaining my B.S. in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation from the University of Nevada, Reno, I spent several years across the west working various wildlife technician jobs. My specialty has always been in the sagebrush steppe ecosystem, my passion was birds, so naturally, I landed myself a Greater Sage-grouse technician job out of Nevada and California with USGS. I chased grouse year-round for nearly three years, monitoring and tracking them at every life stage.  

    I joined the Hagen Lab in March 2025 to pursue my Master’s degree. My project will be looking at various population demographics of two declining greater sage-grouse populations in Central Oregon. My project builds on a previous three-year data set (2022-2024). After my data collection is complete, I will be working with 5-6 years of demographics and habitat-use data on this iconic species.   


  • Growing up on the East Coast, I took advantage of the little “woods” as best I could. However, it wasn’t until after graduating from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology that I got the chance to experience the vast landscapes and big mountains of the west.

    After stints with several federal agencies on habitat restoration projects and reintroducing black-footed ferrets in Colorado, I landed in eastern Oregon and began my career in state wildlife management. I have bounced around most of eastern Oregon working with game and non-game species and their habitats; managing mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, game birds, bears, cougars, wolves among other wildlife for the benefit and enjoyment of everyone to experience. This has given me a wide array of diverse experiences capturing wildlife and monitoring populations.

    After years of hands-on field work, the desire to dive deeper into the quantitative and spatial ecology of wildlife management led me to the Hagen lab. I am currently pursuing my M.S. in Wildlife Science, researching golden eagle population demographics and reproductive success in northeast Oregon and modeling eagle home ranges, habitat use, and travel corridors to better understand factors limiting populations.

    I spend all my spare time outdoors; trail running, mountain biking, skiing, and hunting.


  • 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.

  • Life at the Edge of the Sagebrush Sea: Understanding Demographic Rates and Nest Site Selection of Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Central Oregon

  • Understanding Abundance and Occupancy of Yellow Rails in Oregon

  • Effects of Drought Conditions on Hardstem Bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus) and Sago Pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata)

  • 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.

Past Grad Students

  • Item description

  • 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.

  • 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.

More below

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