Olivia LeDee, Ph.D.

Olivia completed a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 2008. Her dissertation addressed the relationship between non–breeding shorebird populations, landscape conversion, and management of listed species in coastal areas.

From 2008-2012, Olivia’s research focused on qualitatively and quantitatively assessing the vulnerability of wildlife to the direct and indirect impacts of climate change. As a Research Associate and Assistant Scientist in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Olivia worked with the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts and was the lead author of the wildlife assessment. During this time, she worked closely with multiple state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to understand the effects of climate change on natural resources and respond with active management.

Olivia previously worked for the State of Minnesota as a Policy and Planning Consultant in the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Her primary responsibility was to provide technical, policy, and decision support on contentious issues and emerging threats, including climate change. She represented the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies on both the Department of Interior’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science and the Joint Implementation Working Group of the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy.

In 2017, she received the Award for Climate Adaptation in the Individual Category from the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership and an Honorable Mention for the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources from the Joint Implementation Working Group of the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy.