Samantha Alford completed her M.S. student in the department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming in 2020.
She grew up in the Shenandoah Valley where her passion for the outdoors lead her to pursue a career in natural resources management. She graduated from Juniata College in 2014 with a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation. Since graduation, she worked two consecutive summers in Alaska studying hatchery-wild interactions of salmon and another summer in Virginia monitoring brook trout populations.
Samantha’s research interests include environmental and anthropogenic impacts on fish assemblages, native and non-native species interactions, and factors affecting native fish persistence. Currently, her research focuses on factors influencing movement and colonization of native fish in the Wyoming Range. The Wyoming Range fish populations are heavily impacted by multiple stressors including oil and gas development, grazing, flow alteration, and climate change. Determining if movement and colonization capabilities influence persistence is crucial to preserving the Wyoming Range native fish assemblage.
Professional Preparation and Appointments
Education:
- University of Wyoming, M.S. Zoology & Physiology, Laramie, WY (Expected Graduation May 2020)
- Juniata College, B.S. Wildlife Conservation, Huntingdon, PA (May 2014)
Professional Experience:
- 2017-Present: Graduate Assistant, Wyoming Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
- 2017: Fisheries Technician, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
- 2016: Fisheries Technician, Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA
- 2014-2015: Fisheries Technician, Prince William Sound and Science Center, Cordova, AK
- 2012: Fisheries Intern, Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA
Publications
Walker RH, Girard CE, Alford SL, Walters AW. Anthropogenic land-use change intensifies the effect of low flows on stream fishes. J Appl Ecol. 2019;00: 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13517
Selected Presentations
Alford, S. and Walters, A. (2019). Evaluating movement and colonization of fish in the Wyoming Range. Oral presentation at American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society 2019 Joint Annual Conference, Reno, Nevada.
Alford, S. and Walters, A. (2019). Evaluating colonization of fish in the Wyoming Range. Poster presentation at Colorado-Wyoming Subdivision of the American Fisheries Society Student Colloquium, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Alford, S. and Walters, A. (2018). Evaluating factors influencing movement rates of mottled sculpin and mountain sucker in the Wyoming Range. Poster presentation at Colorado-Wyoming Subdivision of the American Fisheries Society Student Colloquium, Laramie, Wyoming.
Alford, S., Howard, J., and Duh, A., (2013). Assessment of Biological Indicators in Raystown Lake. Oral presentation at Juniata College Liberal Arts Symposium, Huntingdon, PA.
Scholarships & Fellowships
- 2019: Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation Dennis Andersen Memorial Scholarship
- 2018: American Fisheries Society Ron Remmick Memorial Scholarship
- 2018: George T. Baxter Fellowship
- 2018: Berry Research Grant
- 2017: Berry Graduate Student Fellowship