As the previous Senior Conservation Data Scientist in the Center for Conservation Innovation at Defenders, Mike led geoinformatics and data science projects to inform and improve conservation. His projects used and analyzed spatial, remote sensing, and administrative data to develop tools and approaches to better conserve imperiled species.
Mike’s background is in wildlife biology. Before arriving at CCI, his research focused on how the space use and movements of black bears and mountain lions are affected by human modification of landscapes. He is also a scientific SCUBA diver, and studied coral ecology in the Bahamas and Florida Keys while working on his Masters. In his free time he enjoys archery, snowboarding and disc golf.
Interests
- geoinformatics
- machine learning
- conservation policy
- administrative data
- spatial ecology
Education
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PhD in Natural Resources & the Environment, 2016
University of Connecticut
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Masters in Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, 2011
Univeristy at Buffalo
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BA in Biology, 2008
Oberlin College