Brett Degregorio

I completed a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 2004, a M.S. in Biology at Purdue at Fort Wayne in 2008, and a PhD in Natural Resources at University of Illinois in 2014. I worked with the Department of Defense (ERDC-CERL) for 5 years studying wildlife conservation issues on military installations all over the country before beginning my current position with the Arkansas Cooperative Research Unit in 2019. In 2023, I was fortunate to be selected to serve as the first Unit Leader for the newly established Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. My students and I study the movement ecology, habitat use, distribution, and behavioral responses of reptiles, birds, and mammals to anthropogenic disturbance and human activity. Many of my current projects use wildlife game cameras to monitor community level changes and behavioral responses to human activity or development. My work is adaptable and flexible as my research program is tailored to work closely with the needs of our cooperators, the Michigan Dept of Natural Resources and the Fish and Wildlife Service. My students and I endeavor to study wildlife issues all over the state of Michigan. I teach several courses including Wildlife Management and Conservation and Conservation Biology.

Areas of Expertise

Anthropogenic Impacts, Behavioral Ecology, Predator-Prey Dynamics, Species Distribution Modeling, Urban Ecology, Wetland Ecology

Taxon Groups Studied

Carnivores, Furbearers, Gamebirds, Nongame Fish/Wildlife, Reptiles, Songbirds, Waterfowl