Pronouns: she/her/hers
I am currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Ecology & Evolution at the University of Chicago. In January 2023, I will be beginning an assistant professor position in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology at New Mexico State University.
My research answers questions rooted in applied population and community ecology and often takes place outside of protected areas -- where humans, livestock, and wildlife interact. My goal is to understand the basic ecology of a system, including the roles people play in the environment, in hopes of providing information that can assist managers and conservation scientists to make informed management decisions.
In addition to my research, I actively participate in teaching and outreach to engage diverse groups of people about their relationship with the natural world. I particularly value this component as I find it often illuminates conservation needs and opportunities for future research. To ensure that science reflects and is relevant to society, I also study topics related to equity, diversity, and inclusion within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and mentor underrepresented students.
Academic appointments:
2021 - present: Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Supervisor: Dr. Cara Brook
2019 - 2021: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Supervisor: Dr. Kathryn Stoner
Academic history:
2019: PhD in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Advisor: Dr. Joel Berger
Dissertation- Bats, elephants, and their food: A conservation perspective on trophic interactions in the Namib Desert
2010: AB in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Advisor: Dr. Andrew Dobson
Thesis- Niche overlap in the diets of three Amazonian caiman species
Personal history: I grew up on a small barrier island in southern New Jersey, and spent most of my childhood combing the jetties for crabs and mussels, fishing in the bay and ocean with my dad, and searching the marshes for birds during low tide. Halfway through my undergraduate program, I discovered career opportunities within the field of wildlife biology and have never looked back. After graduating from Princeton University and working in the field both abroad and within the US for a few years, I landed at the University of Montana to begin work on a doctoral project in fall 2013. I transferred to Colorado State University in 2015 when my advisor Joel Berger accepted a new position in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. I successfully defended my PhD dissertation in 2019 and began a postdoctoral fellowship in the same department under the supervision of Kathryn Stoner. In September 2021, I began a new postdoctoral position under the supervision of Cara Brook in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago. When I am not behind a computer or out in the field, I enjoy all things outdoors—trail running, backpacking, cross country skiing, photographing wildlife, etc.
I am currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Ecology & Evolution at the University of Chicago. In January 2023, I will be beginning an assistant professor position in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology at New Mexico State University.
My research answers questions rooted in applied population and community ecology and often takes place outside of protected areas -- where humans, livestock, and wildlife interact. My goal is to understand the basic ecology of a system, including the roles people play in the environment, in hopes of providing information that can assist managers and conservation scientists to make informed management decisions.
In addition to my research, I actively participate in teaching and outreach to engage diverse groups of people about their relationship with the natural world. I particularly value this component as I find it often illuminates conservation needs and opportunities for future research. To ensure that science reflects and is relevant to society, I also study topics related to equity, diversity, and inclusion within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and mentor underrepresented students.
Academic appointments:
2021 - present: Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Supervisor: Dr. Cara Brook
2019 - 2021: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Supervisor: Dr. Kathryn Stoner
Academic history:
2019: PhD in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Advisor: Dr. Joel Berger
Dissertation- Bats, elephants, and their food: A conservation perspective on trophic interactions in the Namib Desert
2010: AB in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Advisor: Dr. Andrew Dobson
Thesis- Niche overlap in the diets of three Amazonian caiman species
Personal history: I grew up on a small barrier island in southern New Jersey, and spent most of my childhood combing the jetties for crabs and mussels, fishing in the bay and ocean with my dad, and searching the marshes for birds during low tide. Halfway through my undergraduate program, I discovered career opportunities within the field of wildlife biology and have never looked back. After graduating from Princeton University and working in the field both abroad and within the US for a few years, I landed at the University of Montana to begin work on a doctoral project in fall 2013. I transferred to Colorado State University in 2015 when my advisor Joel Berger accepted a new position in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. I successfully defended my PhD dissertation in 2019 and began a postdoctoral fellowship in the same department under the supervision of Kathryn Stoner. In September 2021, I began a new postdoctoral position under the supervision of Cara Brook in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago. When I am not behind a computer or out in the field, I enjoy all things outdoors—trail running, backpacking, cross country skiing, photographing wildlife, etc.
Get in touch: tlaverty [AT] uchicago.edu
Follow me on Twitter: @theresalaverty
Follow me on Twitter: @theresalaverty
