Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program:
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Michael graduated from Georgia College in 2008, receiving a BS in Environmental Science. After graduating, he worked as a biological technician for 6 years, where he learned many applicable skills for both field work and study design. In 2014, he accepted a master's position working in the Chalfoun laboratory at the University of Wyoming, based in the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.. Michael's research looks at how nest predator communities across varying habitat types influence fitness in an island endemic. More specifically, he is examining how the island fox (Urocyon littoralis) and common raven (Corvus corax) influence nest site selection and nest success rates of the island scrub-jay (Aphelocoma insularis) across bishop pine woodlands and oak chaparral woodlands on Santa Cruz Island, California.