Anna Chalfoun, PhD
Assistant Unit Leader - Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
After a brief post-doctoral period with Dr. Craig Benkman at the University of Wyoming in 2007, Anna joined the faculty at the University of Wyoming as a Research Scientist in 2008. She was hired as the Assistant Unit Leader for Wildlife at the Wyoming Unit in 2011. Anna’s work has focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying animal habitat selection at multiple spatial scales, the contexts under which habitat choices are adaptive, life history strategies including parental care behaviors, and the influence of anthropogenic habitat change on non-game wildlife.
Research Interests
Anna and her graduate students are currently conducting research on songbirds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians in a wide variety of systems in Wyoming. The common threads throughout the lab’s projects are wildlife-habitat relationships and the influence of human-induced habitat changes such as loss, fragmentation and alteration of remaining patches on non-game wildlife species. Current projects are focused on effects of energy development, roads, the recent mountain pine beetle infestation of lodgepole pine forests and climate change. Every project is designed to address critical informational needs for the state but students are also encouraged to add a conceptual focus to their work that advances the state of knowledge in the field.
Teaching Interests
Dr. Chalfoun will be teaching a graduate-level course on animal habitat selection and a special topics graduate discussion course during alternating fall semesters.
Education and Certifications
Ph D University of Montana 2006
MS University of Missouri 2000
BA Smith College 1995