OUR RESEARCH

Anthropogenic stressors (e.g., climate change, habitat fragmentation, and pollution) are causing the first human-caused mass extinction event and widespread destruction of ecosystems across the globe. But we can reverse the damage caused by anthropogenic stressors by taking action through research and conservation management. Therefore, our research focuses on understanding the effects of anthropogenic stressors on adaptive life history and behavioral strategies that impact individual and population level fitness. In addition, we study and develop conservation management strategies to mitigate the impacts of these anthropogenic stressors on wildlife and the environment.

Our philosophy is to conduct collaborative, interdisciplinary research in both the field and laboratory that will have direct implications for improving environmental quality and the conservation of species of concern and their natural habitat.

Lab news

2023
  • Welcome new team member Alayna Furman!
  • Congratulations to team member Izabella Sheppard who accepted a Research & Conservation Technician position with the Butterfly Pavilion on the Tarantula Road Mortality Project!
  • Congratulations to team members Sara Colby, Melissa Loftin, Katelynn Randolph, and Izabella Sheppard, and PI Liz Peterson, who presented their research at the annual Animal Behavior Society Conference in Portland OR!
  • Congratulations to team member, Maxwell Martell, who graduated this spring and accepted a wildlife technician position with USDA!
  • Welcome new team members, Melissa Loftin and TJ Cox, to the research team!
  • Great job to graduated team member, Noah Robison, who has accepted a position as a wildlife biologist with USFWS!
  • Great job to team member, Izzy Sheppard, who presented her research on prairie dogs at the Colorado Chapter of the Tri-beta Society Conference in April!
  • PI Dr. Liz Peterson just accepted a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the Department of Biology at Eastern Illinois University!
  • Congratulations to team member, Sara Colby, who will be starting an internship with USFWS and the Student Conservation Association in April!
  • Great job to team members, Maxwell Martell and Adam Liao, who presented their research on wildlife-vehicle collisions at the Colorado Chapter of the Wildlife Society Conference 2023 in Grand Junction, CO!
  • Congratulations to graduated team member, Jenna Morales, who is now working in Dr. Fran Sandmeier's research laboratory as a graduate student pursuing her dreams to work with herptiles!
  • Congratulations to graduated team member, Stephanie Downey, who was just accepted into vet school at Colorado State University!
  • Welcome new team members Marlene Castillo, Timber McGuin, and Katelynn Randolph!

For more news on our team, see the Lab News site!

Contact

For more information contact Dr. Elizabeth Peterson (Principal Investigator) at ekpeterson@eiu.edu.