Curriculum vitae

EDUCATION

University of California Berkeley - PhD candidate   August 2017 to May 2024
Arthur Middleton's Lab
Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management in the College of Natural Resources
Dissertation title: “Ecological & social challenges of wolf-livestock conflict: wolf-elk interactions & local perspectives in the eastern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem”

Middlebury College - Bachelor of Arts Degree  September 2009 - May 2013 Joint Major in Environmental Studies and Biology (Conservation Biology); Minor in Chinese                                                                                                     

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Working Wild Challenge Coordinator, July 2024-present

WESTERN LANDOWNERS ALLIANCE
Corvallis, Oregon

Independent Contractor, 2015-2017

SHAWLER CONSERVATION PLANNING LLC
Ketchum, Idaho

I worked as an independent contractor under my own LLC for several conservation non-profit organizations based in south central Idaho including: Lava Lake Institute for Science & Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, Idaho Conservation League & Central Idaho Rangelands Network. See below for specifics on each contract.

Contracted Project Coordinator  April 2015 – August 2017
WOOD RIVER WOLF PROJECT - LAVA LAKE INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE & CONSERVATION
Hailey, Idaho

Contracted Field Assistant   April 2015  to August 2017        
IDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE 
Ketchum, Idaho

Conservation Easement Document Report Contractor March - July 2016
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY 
Hailey, Idaho

Contracted Coordinator  5-15 hours/week, January 8th to August 2017
CENTRAL IDAHO RANGELANDS NETWORK (CIRN) 
Central Idaho (Hailey, Salmon, Mackay)

FIELDWORK & GIS EXPERIENCE

Wildlife Field Technician November 2014 to March 2015
UC SANTA CRUZ/ NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, California

Biological Technician /CLM (Conservation and Land Management) Intern April to September 2014
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT- SHOSHONE FIELD OFFICE                                                                                                                                                                    
Shoshone, Idaho

Resource Management Intern (Student Conservation Association) October 2013-March  2014
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE- SOUTHEAST ARIZONA GROUP (SEAZ) 
Southeast Arizona Region - Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial and Fort Bowie National Historic Site          

Seasonal Biological Field Technician  June-September 2013
NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATORY NETWORK (NEON)                                                                                                                                                                            
Boulder, CO

TRAININGS, SKILLS & CERTIFICATIONS

Trainings: Western Conservation Leadership Development Program (WCLDP): Fundamentals of Western Conservation Leadership Course 2021-2022

Software: R Statistical Computing, ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, MAXQDA qualitative analysis software

Field techniques: cluster searching, necropsies, radio telemetry, GPS collar programming & data management, wildlife collaring and blood sampling (elk and wolves), wildlife tracking, camera trapping, plant ID for the Northern Rockies, 4WD, UTV, towing experience, working in grizzly country, backcountry orienteering, horsepacking

Safety certifications: Wilderness First Responder, AIARE Level 1 (avalanche safety)

Other professional skills: public speaking, grant writing, budgeting, fundraising, project management, volunteer recruitment and management, representing organizations while meeting with state legislators (in Idaho and Washington DC), community engagement and outreach

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-reviewed Publications

Tucker, M. A., Schipper, A. M., Adams, T. S., Attias, N., Avgar, T., Babic, N. L., ...Shawler, A.L.,…. & Mueller, T. (2023). Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns. Science, 380(6649), 1059-1064.

Serota, M.W., Barker, K.J., Gigliotti, L.C., Maher, S.M., Shawler, A.L., Zuckerman, G.R., Xu, W., Verta, G., Templin, E., Andreozzi, C.L. and Middleton, A.D. (2023). Incorporating human dimensions is associated with better wildlife translocation outcomes. Nature Communications, 14(1), p.2119.

Barker, K. J., Xu, W., Van Scoyoc, A., Serota, M., Moravek, J., Shawler, A., Ryan, R., & A. Middleton. (2021). Toward a new framework for restoring lost wildlife migrations. Conservation Letters. e12850

Xu, W., Barker, K., Shawler, A., Van Scoyoc, A., Smith, J.A., Mueller, T., Sawyer, H., Andreozzi, C., Bidder, O.R., Karandikar, H., Mumme, S., Templin, E., and A. Middleton. (2021). The plasticity of ungulate migration in a changing world. Ecology, p.e03293.

*Wilkinson, C., McInturff, A., Miller, J., Yovovich, V., Gaynor, K., Calhoun, K., Karandikar, H., Martin, J., Parker-Shames, P., Shawler, A., Van Scoyoc, A., & Brashares, J. (2020). ecological framework for contextualizing carnivore-livestock conflict. Conservation Biology. 34(4), 854-867.

*The 2021 Wildlife Society Wildlife Publication Award in the Student Paper category

Other Publications

Supporting Working Lands and Wildlife with the Four C’s: Policy Recommendations from the Conflict Reduction Consortium (pdf) May 2022

Working across the rural-urban divide: Messaging for large carnivore conflict reduction (pdf) June 2021

AWARDS AND FUNDING

USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture Predoctoral Fellowship ($120,000) 2022-2023

AniMove Animal Movement Analysis summer school, selected participant                                             2022
Max-Planck Institute for Animal Behavior | Radolfzell, Germany

The Cause for Conservation Graduate Fund ($2500)            2021
ESPM, UC Berkeley

The Oliver Lyman Wildlife & Fisheries Fund Recipient ($5130)              2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021
ESPM, UC Berkeley

Outstanding Student Poster Award                                                                                                    2018
14th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem | Big Sky, MT

PRESENTATIONS, PANELS & POSTERS

Shawler, A. April 2024. “Ecological & social challenges of wolf-livestock conflict: Investigating wolf-elk interactions and local perspectives around Cody, Wyoming”. The Wildlife Society Wyoming Chapter Conference. Cody, Wyoming. Presentation.

Shawler, A. May 2023. “Investigating socioeconomic barriers to carnivore-livestock conflict mitigation”. Pathways 2023: Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conference. Colorado State University. Fort Collins, CO. Presentation

Shawler, A. May 2022. “How migratory coupling of wolves and elk may influence patterns of wolf-livestock conflict in the eastern GYE”. 15th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in Bozeman, MT. Presentation.

Shawler, A. November 2020. “Finding Balance in the Working Wild” panel discussion. Women in Ranching Confluence virtual conference. Invited panelist.

Shawler, A. October 2019. “Wolf movements and predation in ranching landscapes of the eastern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem”. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference in Reno, NV. Poster.

Shawler, A. September 2018. “Patterns and drivers of livestock depredation along the eastern frontier of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem”. 14th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in Big Sky, MT. Poster

Shawler, A. February 2017. “Wolf-Livestock Coexistence Strategies: The Wood River Wolf Project in Central Idaho”. The Wildlife Society, Colorado Chapter – Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Symposium in Fort Collins, CO. Invited plenary speaker.

Shawler, A. February 2017. “Wolf Conservation in Colorado: Past, Present, and Future” film screening and panel discussion. Defenders of Wildlife. Fort Collins, CO. Invited panelist.

OUTREACH & SERVICE

Outreach:

Conflict Reduction Consortium documents (see Learning Materials page) 2021
MeatEater’s Campfire Stories: Close Calls audiobook contributor                                              2021
Draper Natural History Museum, “What does the GYE mean to you” video 2020
Invited speaker for Friends of Panthertown Webinar Series                                                       2020
All Things Wild podcast guest. “Wolf-livestock conflict with Avery Shawler”                          2020
STEMinist Club presentation at Berkeley High School                                                                    2019 & 2022
Invited speaker for Berkeley Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity Event                     2018
Idaho Representative for the Conservation Lands Foundation Washington DC Fly In 2017

Service:

Alliance of Therapy Dogs volunteer in Cody, Wyoming 2021-2023
Conflict Reduction Consortium member, Western Landowners Alliance                                     2020-present
The ESPM Buddy Program, UC Berkeley                                                                                                    2020-2021
Bay Area Scientists in Schools (BASIS), Berkeley, CA                                                                             2018-2019


Journal Reviewerships:                                                                                                                                                          
Ambio
Biological Conservation
Oikos

TEACHING APPOINTMENTS

Graduate Student Instructor (remote)                                                                                     Fall 2020
ESPM C103/IB C156 - Principles of Conservation Biology | UC Berkeley

Teaching Assistant Fall 2012
BIOL 0302 Vertebrate Natural History | Middlebury College

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH & WORK EXPERIENCE

GIS Conservation Consultant January 2013
CONSERVATION PLANNING FOR THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY                                                                                                                                                                  
Middlebury, VT

Volunteer (for Senior Independent Study) Fall 2012
VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE                                                                                                                                                                                                     
Rutland, VT


GIS Intern Summer 2012
VERMONT NONGAME AND NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM, VT FISH & WILDLIFE                                                                                                                                
Middlebury, VT

Student Scientist Fall 2011
ROUND RIVER CONSERVATION STUDIES
Kunene Region, Namibia

I co-wrote the 2011 Kunene Region Ecological Analyses Report for Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism (Research Permit # 1621/2011) with the Namibia Desert Student Program. We worked in collaboration with the central 5 Kunene conservancies and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and initiated long-term game counts to augment the annual regional game census efforts.  In conjunction with these counts, Round River is also working closely with the conservancy game guards to provide needed training assistance.

OTHER UNDERGRADUATE JOBS

  • Lifeguard, Middlebury Natatorium (2009-2011)

  • Office Assistant, Middlebury Language Schools (2011-2012)

  • Travel & Logistics Coordinator for International Student Orientation, Middlebury International Student and Scholar Services (Summer 2012)

  • Afterschool Caretaker (2012)