Matt grew up in rural southern Oregon, the son of a horse logger and an elementary schoolteacher. He has an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Oregon and a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Matt has worked on topics that include the management and recovery of peregrine falcons, habitat quality and fidelity of North Pacific whale species, the effects of range management on carnivores in southern Africa, the dynamics of elk populations, and interactions among wolves, elk and aspen. In 2006, Matt joined the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the faculty of the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming; he is currently the leader of the Wyoming Coop Unit. Matt and his graduate students are conducting studies on elk, wolves, moose, deer, and bighorn sheep in Wyoming, addressing the influence of habitat condition, predation, human disturbance, and energy development on these species. Matt’s research combines work on animal physiology, behavior and demography to better understand population- and landscape-level processes. A primary focus of this work is to provide timely information to agency biologists charged with managing Wyoming’s wildlife.
Professional Preparation and Appointments
| University of Oregon | Biology | B.A., 1992 |
| University of California, Santa Cruz | Environmental Studies | Ph.D., 2003 |
| University of California, Santa Cruz | Conservation Biology | postdoc, 2003 |
| University of Montana | Conservation Biology | postdoc 2003-2004 |
Appointments
| Unit Leader | Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit | 2010 – |
| Assistant Leader for Wildlife | Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit | 2006 – |
| Assistant Professor | Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming | 2006 – |
| Assistant Research Professor | Biological Sciences, University of Montana | 2004-2006 |