Current Graduate Students

Current Graduate Students:

Megan Lisburg, M.S. (2009-present)	Response of pygmy rabbits to habitat changes associated with prescribed fires.
Growing up on a small farm near Fargo, ND, I have always loved spending time outdoors. I developed an interest in ecology while attending Minnesota State University Moorhead, where I received my B.S. in Biology with an Emphasis in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (May 2009). As an undergraduate, I was one of the student leads in a long-term study of painted turtle ecology in western MN. I have also worked as a Research Technician for the USDA, the MN Department of Natural Resources, and the US Forest Service. For my Masters I am investigating how prescribed fire affects habitat use and selection by pygmy rabbits. My personal interests include running, camping and hiking, photography and enjoying beautiful summer days.

Joel Sauder, Ph.D. (2006-present)	Ecology of fishers in managed forests: habitat selection and spatial relationships in the Northern Rocky Mountains.
I received a B.S. in Biology from Northwest Nazarene University in 1999 and a M.S. in Zoology from Idaho State University in 2002. For my master's research I studied patterns of avian diversity and abundance in the shrubsteppe, juniper woodland, and aspen habitats of southeastern Idaho. Upon graduation, I entered the real world and took a job with High Desert Ecological Research Institute in Bend, OR. In 2003 I came back to Idaho to work for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, where I currently serve as the Regional Nongame Biologist in the Clearwater Region. My research interests have diversified over the years and currently revolve around poorly studied species that are of management concern, particularly those that occur in north-central Idaho. My doctoral work is on fishers (Martes pennanti), a mature forest-associated species, for which the ecology is poorly known in the Northern Rocky Mountains. My research focuses on developing models of resource selection at landscape and home range scales in multiple-use forests using satellite telemetry. Outside of work and research, I enjoy bird and elk hunting, hiking, reading, and testing out Idaho's numerous natural hot springs.


Shaun Grassel, Ph.D. (2007-present)	Factors that affect territoriality, productivity, and survival of black-footed ferrets in central South Dakota.
I received a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from South Dakota State University in 1994. I worked as a wildlife biologist for the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe from 1995-2002. In that position, I primarily conducted annual surveys and estimated annual harvest rates of game species. I received a M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from South Dakota State University in 2000. My research evaluated the methodology used to estimate population size, and age and sex ratios of white-tailed and mule deer on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation, SD. I estimated seasonal movements, survival rates, and developed a sightability model used to estimate the deer population size on the reservation. I worked for the fisheries program of the Nez Perce Tribe fisheries program from 2002-2004. In 2004, I began working on a project to reintroduce black-footed ferrets and swift foxes to the Lower Brule Indian Reservation. My doctoral research is focused on the ecology of space use by black-footed ferrets. My hobbies include hunting, fishing, and spending time with family.

Amanda Price, M.S. (2007-present)	Monitoring of uncommon species: developing an index of abundance for pygmy rabbits.
Born and raised in Eastern Pennsylvania, I received my B.S. in Wildlife/Fisheries from Frostburg State University (Maryland) in 2004. As an undergraduate, I was actively involved in studies on the significance of habitat variables on white-footed mice, investigating methods to eradicate Japanese Knotweed, and an ongoing Saw-whet owl banding project in Western Maryland. Since 2004, I have worked as a research technician in a study on habitat use of juvenile songbirds in deciduous forests of West Virginia, and worked as a project coordinator for a private consulting agency in Pennsylvania. My master’s research at University of Idaho will involve estimating densities of pygmy rabbits in southeastern Idaho and developing an index of abundance based on burrow survey data. I will also be investigating effects of rabbits on vegetation surrounding burrow systems. Outside of research, I enjoy training and competing horses, backpacking, kayaking, hunting, and photography. Most of all I love exploring the new sights and sounds of the Pacific Northwest.

Adam Wells, Ph.D (2008-present)	Fine-scale habitat selection and movement models of the mountain goat in the Washington Cascades.
I grew up in Upstate New York spending much of my youth playing outside under the eastern deciduous forests of the Appalachian Plateau. I earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a focus on biology at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) in Syracuse, NY, where I studied under the guidance of herpetologist James P. Gibbs. After completing my B.S., I moved to the Pacific Northwest and gained employment working on the Columbia River Avian Predation Project for 2 seasons. In 2004, I was accepted into the Master’s of Science program in the Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University. I studied under the supervision of David O. Wallin as a research assistant for 2 years on the North Cascade Mountain Goat Research Project. I earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Science specializing in terrestrial ecology in 2006. My master’s thesis is entitled Global Positioning System (GPS) Bias correction and habitat analysis of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) in the Cascades of Washington State. At the University of Idaho, I am continuing to study mountain goats and am assessing the habitat requirements for this species using data from mountain goats fitted with GPS collars, Brownian bridge movement modeling, and synoptic resource selection analysis. As part my study, I am developing an alpine vegetation map of North Cascade National Park and the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. I also am investigating the influence of backcountry recreation on habitat selection patterns of mountain goats in the region. In my spare time I snowboard and farm hazelnuts.