Conor McGowan, PhD

Conor is the Assistant Unit Leader of the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Conor completed his BS at Wake Forest University, an MS at NC State University and his Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences at the University of Missouri in 2008. He was a post-doc at USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center for 2 years before joining the Unit Program in 2010. He was the assistant leader for 7 years and then the acting leader for 3 years at the Alabama, before moving to the Florida Unit in 2020. 

Conor's research focuses population assessment and predictive modeling to support decision making for both harvested species and imperiled species. He and his students primarily work to estimate demographic rates and then design stochastic predictive simulation models, often embedded within a larger decision analysis approach to problem solving. Conor teaches courses on applied ecological modeling and decision analysis applications in wildlife conservation in the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation program at University of Florida. He enjoys bird watching, hiking, and playing guitar when not modeling animal populations. 

Major Research Experience:

Post-Doctoral Research Associate - Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, May 2008 - Present.  Developing and parameterizing models for the adaptive management of Horseshoe Crab harvests in the Delaware Bay constrained by Red Knot population viability.  In this position I have lead the adaptive management team and lead efforts to communicate with stakeholders and with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission managers.

Graduate Research Assistant - Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri, August 2004 - May 2008.  Develop and parameterize models to evaluate Great Plains Piping Plover population viability and assess the effects of "incidental take" on viability for this federally threatened species.

Research Assistant - Department of Zoology, N.C. State University and the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, April 2001 - May 2004.  Locate and monitor American Oystercatcher nests in coastal North Carolina, trap and mark adult breeding birds, radio track chicks, measure and monitor human disturbance.

Teaching Experience:

Teaching Assistant if Adaptive Management course, USFWS, National Conservation Training Center, June 2009.

Teaching Assistant in Ornithology (FW 2010), Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri, Spring Semester 2008.

Teaching Assistant in Animal Diversity (Zo150), Department of Zoology, N.C. State University, 5 semesters between fall of 2001 and spring of 2004.

Guest Lecturer, in Population Dynamics course in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri, Spring 2007, 2008.