About Taylor
I am studying wolf habituation and the effects of aversive conditioning on wild wolf populations. My research examines why some wolves become more habituated to humans than others, and which intervention strategies — from non-lethal projectiles to auditory deterrents — prove most effective at reversing problematic behavior before it escalates into conflict. My graduate work is conducted in collaboration with the Yellowstone Wolf Project, drawing on a seven-year archive of field data I gathered with my colleagues to analyze the factors driving habituation and evaluate which hazing methods most successfully restore natural wariness in wolves that have grown too comfortable around people.
Interests
- Human-wildlife conflict
- Non-lethal mitigation tools
- Human-carnivore coexistence
Education
Bachelors, Zoology - The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH, 2018
Graduate & Advisor Program
Veronica Yovovich
Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology
Awards, Honors, Grants
- Conservation Nation First Inaugural Fellow, 2022
Presentations
Naturalist Nights: Yellowstone Wolves: A Quarter Century of Research and Observations”
, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, January
“Loving Wolves to Death: Yellowstone Wolf Habituation.”
, International Wolf Center Symposium, 10/16/2022
Certifications
- Snowmobile Operator by National Park Service, 2024
- National Park Service Avalanche Awareness Training by National Park Service, 2023
- CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers with First Aid by American Red Cross , 2022
- Paintball Gun/Aversive Conditioning Training by National Park Service, 2021
- Fixed-Wing Flight Manager by National Park Service, 2020
- Aircrew Member by National Park Service, 2020