VCE biologists Rosalind Renfrew, John Lloyd, and Jason Hill have been appointed as adjunct faculty at the University of Vermont Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources.
(NORWICH, VT) September 6, 2018 — The Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) is pleased to announce the appointments of Dr. Rosalind Renfrew, Dr. John Lloyd, and Dr. Jason Hill as adjunct faculty in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont.
John Lloyd serves as VCE’s Director of Science and holds a PhD in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana, an MS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Arizona, and a BS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Vermont. Currently, Dr. Lloyd works on creating approaches to research that bridge the spaces between science, policy, and practice and that lead to positive outcomes for nature conservation. He applies these approaches to a variety of topics in a variety of places, from forest fragmentation in Vermont to protected-area management in the Dominican Republic.
Rosalind Renfrew is a co-founder of VCE and director of the organization’s Grasslands Program. She holds an MS and PhD in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a BS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont. Dr. Renfrew’s research focuses on grassland bird ecology and conservation, with an emphasis on migration and wintering ecology in South America. She develops and contributes to regional, national, and international grassland bird conservation planning. Locally, she provides guidance to landowners who seek to support grassland bird habitat on their properties.
Jason Hill is a quantitative ecologist at VCE and holds a PhD in Ecology from Pennsylvania State University, an MS in Ecology from the University of Connecticut, and a BS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. Dr. Hill’s previous research centered on population ecology studies in California, Hawaii, and Costa Rica; currently he investigates avian ecology within the Northeast montane spruce-fir community, and oversees Mountain Birdwatch (VCE’s decade-long citizen science montane bird monitoring project).
These appointments represent the latest development in a longstanding, collaborative relationship between VCE and the University of Vermont to advance conservation science in Vermont and beyond. In addition to providing a rigorous summer internship opportunity through the Rubenstein School Perennial Summer Internship Program, VCE and UVM have joined forces with the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, and Stowe Mountain Resort to establish the Mt. Mansfield Science and Stewardship Center atop Vermont’s highest peak. The mission of the proposed center is to promote the health of northeastern mountain ecosystems by catalyzing collaborative science and stewardship on Mount Mansfield.
“These joint appointments are a natural extension of VCE’s already strong partnership with UVM’s Rubenstein School,” says Chris Rimmer, VCE’s founding Executive Director (and another UVM alumnus). “Whether on the Mt. Mansfield ridgeline, in the Champlain Valley grasslands, or across Vermont’s forested ecosystems, VCE is excited to deepen collaborations with our Rubenstein colleagues. We look forward to advancing robust conservation science together through a combination of research and mentoring.”
With expertise ranging from quantitative ornithology to evolutionary biology, and field sites that extend from Maine to Bolivia, VCE’s biologists will offer rich and varied research opportunities for Rubenstein School graduate and undergraduate students alike. “We are thrilled to have John, Roz, and Jason join our Wildlife and Fisheries Biology Program and faculty in the Rubenstein School. They are all outstanding scientists and conservation practitioners, and there are so many great connections between their work at VCE and ours here at UVM. We look forward to deeper collaborations on issues related to wildlife conservation and opportunities for making science more impactful locally, regionally, and globally,” stated Dr. James D. Murdoch, Associate Professor & Chair of the Wildlife and Fisheries Biology Program at the Rubenstein School.
The Vermont Center for Ecostudies advances the conservation of wildlife across the Americas through research, monitoring and citizen engagement. Read more about VCE’s ongoing research projects at vtecostudies.org/projects.
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Contacts:
Chris Rimmer
Executive Director
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
802.649.1431 x202
Karen Bourque
Director of Communications
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
802.649.1431 x209
