Curriculum vitae
EDUCATION
Ph.D., University of California Berkeley 2024
Environmental Science, Policy and Management
Arthur Middleton's Lab
Dissertation title: “Ecological & social dimensions of wolf-livestock conflict in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem”
B.A., Middlebury College 2013
Environmental Studies and Biology (Conservation Biology); Minor in Chinese
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Science & Research Coordinator
WESTERN LANDOWNERS ALLIANCE
Remote (western U.S.) | July 2024-present
Independent Contractor
SHAWLER CONSERVATION PLANNING LLC
Ketchum, Idaho | 2015-2017
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.
Wood River Wolf Project Coordinator
LAVA LAKE INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE & CONSERVATION
Hailey, Idaho | 2015-2017
Field Assistant
IDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE
Ketchum, Idaho | 2015-2017
Conservation Easement Document Report Contractor
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
Hailey, Idaho | 2016
Coordinator
CENTRAL IDAHO RANGELANDS NETWORK (CIRN)
Central Idaho (Hailey, Salmon, Mackay) | 2017
Wildlife Field Technician
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, California | 2014-2015
BLM Biological Technician
CONSERVATION & LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Shoshone, Idaho | 2014
NPS Southeast AZ Resource Management Intern
STUDENT CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION
Southeast Arizona | 2013-2014
Biological Field Technician
NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATORY NETWORK (NEON)
Boulder, Colorado | 2013
PUBLICATIONS
Peer-reviewed Publications
Shawler, A.L., Barker, K.J., Xu, W., Mills, K.J., Mong, T.W. & Middleton, A.D. (2025). Wolves use diverse tactics to track partially migratory prey. Current Biology. 35(16). 4035-4042.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.07.015
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.
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
Shawler, A.L. & Collins, M. (2025). Wolf location sharing: Finding common ground. Western Landowners Alliance.
https://westernlandowners.org/publication/wolf-location-sharing-finding-common-ground/
Shawler, A.L. (2025). Building Trust: A guide for agencies working with producers to reduce wildlife conflicts. Western Landowners Alliance. https://westernlandowners.org/publication/building-trust/
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), 2018-2021
ESPM, UC Berkeley
Outstanding Student Poster Award, 2018
14th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem | Big Sky, MT
PRESENTATIONS, PANELS & POSTERS
“Ranching and predators in the West.”
Western Ranch Management Academy. Utah State University. Invited speaker. August 2025.
“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. April 2024.
“Investigating socioeconomic barriers to carnivore-livestock conflict mitigation”.
Pathways 2023: Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conference. Colorado State University. Fort Collins, CO. Presentation. May 2023.
“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. Montana State University. Bozeman, MT. Presentation. May 2022.
“Finding Balance in the Working Wild” panel discussion.
Women in Ranching Confluence virtual conference. Invited panelist. November 2020.
“Wolf movements and predation in ranching landscapes of the eastern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem”.
The Wildlife Society Annual Conference. Reno, NV. Poster. October 2019.
“Patterns and drivers of livestock depredation along the eastern frontier of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem”.
14th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Big Sky, MT. Poster. September 2018.
“Wolf-Livestock Coexistence Strategies: The Wood River Wolf Project in Central Idaho”.
The Wildlife Society, Colorado Chapter – Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Symposium. Colorado State University. Fort Collins, CO. Invited plenary speaker. February 2017.
OUTREACH & SERVICE
Outreach:
NPR Short Wave podcast - What is the legacy of Yellowstone wolves 30 years after their reintroduction?, 2025
MeatEater’s Campfire Stories: Close Calls audiobook contributor, 2021
Draper Natural History Museum, “What does the GYE mean to you” video, 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
The ESPM Buddy Program, UC Berkeley, 2020-2021
Bay Area Scientists in Schools (BASIS), Berkeley, CA, 2018-2019
Journal Reviews:
Ambio | Biological Conservation | Conservation Science and Practice | Oikos
Grant proposal reviews
National Geographic - American Keystones grant proposal reviewer (2025)
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
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 skills: 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
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH & WORK EXPERIENCE
GIS Conservation Consultant
CONSERVATION PLANNING FOR THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY
Middlebury, VT | 2013
Volunteer (for Senior Independent Study)
VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
Middlebury, VT | 2012
GIS Intern
VERMONT NONGAME AND NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM, VT FISH & WILDLIFE
Middlebury, VT | 2012
Student Scientist
ROUND RIVER CONSERVATION STUDIES
Kunene Region, Namibia | Fall 2011
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)
