Explore every episode of the podcast Today's Voices of Conservation Science

Anna Kusler, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her passion for all animals and her research on cheetahs in central Zambia. 

Stephen Huysman, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his passion for plant science, computer science, and the merger of the two for his research on whitebark pine.

Parker Levinson, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her passion for animals, love for field research, and her research on Weddell seals. 

Katie Furey, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her passion for the natural resources, journey in many technician positions, and her research on trout in Montana. 

Elisabeth Krieger, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her passion for sports, natural resources, and her research on elk in eastern Montana. 

Alzada Roche, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her time working with the Montana Conservation Corps and her research Salmon Flies in the Madison River. 

Teo Rautu, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her time growing up in Washington, love of the outdoors, and research on whitebark pine.

Coltan Pipinich, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his time growing up in Montana, working for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and his research on brown trout.

Jessica Harris, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her time growing up in Michigan, mentors, women in conservation science, and her research on high-elevation pines.

Keith Wellstone, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his time growing up in Minnesota and California, experiences in field ecology, and his research on trout in Yellowstone National Park.

Anna French, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her time growing up in Minnesota, challenges in graduate school, and her research on signal crayfish in Montana.

Cayley Faurot-Daniels, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her many technician positions and her love for field biology. She also discusses her research using eDNA to identify pollinators in Glacier National Park.

Nate Heili, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his education, work in the west, and research on aquatic insects in irrigation ditches. 

Carlisle Segal, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career trajectory, natural resource education, and graduate research on bison grazing and arthropods in Yellowstone National Park.

Drew MacDonald, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his career trajectory, moving around, and research on juvenile lake trout in Yellowstone Lake.

Alyson East, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career trajectory, struggles along the way, and research on remote sensing in the Amazon.

Fritz Kalakay, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his career trajectory and research on aspens in Montana.

Katherine Sparks, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career trajectory and research on “High-Five Pines" (high-elevation pine trees).

Thomas Meinzen, a graduate in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his career trajectory and research on pollinators that use roadside lands.

Lauren Gedlinske, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career trajectory and her research on floral scents and pollinators in Montana.

Addie Dutton, a graduate of the Department of Ecology at Montana State University from the Fish and Wildlife Program, discusses her career trajectory, hurdles associated with getting into the conservation profession, and her position as a Fisheries Management Biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Justin Gude, a graduate of the Department of Ecology at Montana State University from the Fish and Wildlife Management Program, discusses his career trajectory and his current position at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. 

Kambwiri Banda, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his career trajectory and research on the effects of de-snaring on carnivores in South Luangwa and Kafue National Parks.

Sean Hoy-Skubik, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his career trajectory and research on the effects of climate change on the physiology of whitebark pine, limber pine, and Great Basin bristlecone pine.

Kadie Heinle, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career trajectory and research on how drought and brown trout influence Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Elise Loggers, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career trajectory and research on Bear Management Areas in Yellowstone National Park.

Claire Bresnan, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career trajectory and research on Bison in eastern Montana.

Julie Cunningham, a wildlife biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, discusses her career development and passion for the landscapes and wildlife of the west.

Ben Goodheart, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his passion for conserving wildlife, career development, and research on wild dogs in Africa.

Dr. Robert Garrott, a professor in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University and Director of the Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program (recently retired from MSU), discusses his amazing career in academia and studying large mammals throughout the world.

Ben Tumolo, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses some of his academic struggles and research on the net-spinning caddisfly as an ecosystem engineer.

Hayley Glassic, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses the need for a healthy work-life balance and her research on the Yellowstone Lake food web.

Whisper Camel-Means, a wildlife biologist for the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, discusses her passion for all things wild, education, and her current job that involves evaluating underpasses for wildlife.

Ian Anderson, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his passion for fisheries and his research on a fish passage structure in the Yellowstone River, Montana.

Mike Siemiantkowski, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his passion for everything fish and his research on the tracking lake trout in Swan Lake, Montana.

Zach Macguire, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his passion for wilderness, freshwater ecology, and the importance of mentorship. He also discusses his research on macroinvertebrates and trout in the Madison River, Montana. 

Thomas Sutton, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his passion for wildlife management and his research on mesic habitat restoration.

Colter Brown, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his experiences growing up in Wyoming and his research on mountain whitefish.

Kristen Switzer, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her passion for pollinators and her research on pollinators in Yellowstone National Park.

Evan Shields, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his passion for wildlife and his research on the trumpeter swan in Yellowstone National Park.

Chloe Wasteneys, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her winding path to graduate school, her love for trees, and her research on whitebark pine.

Jessica Eggers, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses growing up on the Crow Reservation in Montana and how that shaped her passion for conservation and education. She also discusses her research on interaction among arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, plants, and climate change.

Dr. Andrea Litt, Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career path and amazing research program on many wildlife species.

Mary Levandowski, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her research on wetland biodiversity in Grand Teton National Park. She also discusses here passion for nature and her passion is contagious!

Shane Petch, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses his love for the outdoors growing up in western Colorado and how he has overcome some periods of self-doubt. He also discusses his research on Weddell seals in Antarctica.  

Matea Djokic, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career path from cognitive psychology to studying pallid sturgeon. She also discusses her novel research on pallid sturgeon and the fat meter.

Kristen Cook, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses her career path from horses to fish to mussels.  She also discusses her career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and how it intertwines with her graduate research on the Western Pearlshell mussel in Montana.

Tanner Cox, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University, discusses how he became interested in the natural resource profession and what the profession can do to better market to undergraduates.  He also discusses his research on the endangered pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River above Fort Peck Reservoir in Montana.

Jonathan Merkle, a graduate student at Montana State University in the Department of Ecology, discusses his early love for museums and zoology.  He also discusses his graduate research on African wild dogs. 

James Waxe, a graduate student at Montana State University, discusses sage grouse research in Montana and Idaho.  He also discusses his passion for the natural world and how that moved him to get a degree in fish and wildlife management.