Michael Drake, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Environment & Sustainability 970-247-6024 mdrake@fortlewis.edu Areas of Expertise Conservation Ecology Wildlife Governance Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conservation Economics Education PhD: Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, 2021 MS: Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, North Carolina State University, 2016 BA: Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 2012 About Dr. Michael Drake I am a Korean-American ecologist that grew up in the Pacific Northwest. My life-long love of wildlife has guided my career and research towards investigating pressing issues in contemporary conservation. I view wildlife conservation as a holistic issue, involving governance and social understanding just as much as biological insight. As such, I strive to merge socio-economic and ecological frameworks into my teaching and research. Previously, I completed my PhD at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2021, where my dissertation work focused on community-based conservation in Southern Africa, and my MS at North Carolina State University in 2016, where I studied human perceptions of coyotes in urban areas. Before entering graduate school, I spent time working in Yosemite National Park, completed my BA at the University of Pennsylvania, and received a Fulbright research fellowship in Namibia. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy rock climbing, birding, and wildlife photography, all of which afford me more time to think about the connections between humans and wildlife.