Jacob leads the Center for Conservation Innovation, where we focus on improving wildlife conservation in the U.S., especially under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We work at the intersection of data, technology, and policy to pioneer innovative, pragmatic conservation solutions. We work with others inside and outside of Defenders to make conservation data available and easily interpretable, so that policy makers and the public can make informed decisions about conservation. Jacob is always happy to talk or write about science, technology, policy, and the critters we work to protect.
Before joining Defenders in January, 2015, Jacob was a postdoctoral fellow at University of Connecticut, and earned his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013. From 2000-2008, Jacob was a field biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in New Mexico and Arizona, during which time he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Conservation Ecology at Prescott College. When not working, there’s a very good chance Jacob is out with his wife, daughter, and dogs looking for plants and critters.
Interests
- conservation policy
- administrative data
- community ecology
- evolution
- genomics
Education
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PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, 2013
University of Texas at Austin
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BA in Conservation Ecology, 2007
Prescott College