Dr. Stanley D. Gehrt is the Principal Investigator of the Cook County Coyote Project, having initiated the study in 2000. As Chair of the Center for Wildlife Research at the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, he directs a variety of research projects both at the Foundation and around the… Read more
Researchers
See a full list of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers involved with the program.
Chris Anchor has been a long-term partner, supporter, and teacher with the Cook County Coyote Project. When he began with the project in 2000, it was already in a way running based on years of observations from him and others from his team at the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, IL… Read more
Dr. Seth Newsome began collaborating with the Cook County Coyote Project in 2010, initiating a new avenue for research. He has extensive experience as an animal ecologist around the globe and uses his unique background to identify energy flow through ecological communities. Key to his research… Read more
Dr. Hance Ellington joined the Cook County Coyote Project in the fall of 2015. He earned his PhD from Trent University, examining individual and population-level drivers of coyote space use. He specializes in movement ecology, population demographics, and ecological data synthesis. He brings his… Read more
Shane McKenzie, a Chicago-area native, earned his BS degree from Southern Illinois University of Carbondale, majoring in Forest Resource Management and minoring in Environmental Studies. He has worked on several wildlife projects across the country focusing on carnivore ecology. Shane started… Read more
Blake graduated from the University of Michigan in 2017 with a degree in Environmental Sciences specializing in Conservation Biology. Since graduation, he has worked with white-tailed deer, black bears, and invasive wild pigs for multiple state agencies and universities. He plans to secure… Read more
Olivia graduated from McGill University with a BS in Environmental Science, specializing in Wildlife Biology. Before joining the Urban Coyote Research Project, she worked with Northern Bobwhites in North Carolina. She's very excited to be working with urban carnivores and hopes to continue… Read more
Alexis graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2021 with a BS in Wildlife Ecology and Environmental Studies. Since then, she has worked with Sandhill and Whooping Cranes in Wisconsin, Masked Bobwhite Quail in Arizona, and Piping Plovers in New York. She is very excited to be doing… Read more
Ashlyn graduated from the University of Georgia in 2020 with a BSFR in Fisheries and Wildlife science. Before starting graduate school, she studied Passeriform diets and vector-borne pathogens, in addition to developing outreach materials with the non-profit organization, Georgia Wildlife… Read more
Ashley Wurth graduated from Colorado State University in 2013 with a BS in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Science and a BS in Equine Science. She completed her PhD through The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources Department in 2018, conducting her… Read more
Katie Robertson, a former doctoral student in Dr. Stan Gehrt’s lab, graduated from The Ohio State University in December 2018 with a PhD in Environment and Natural Resources. She also holds a BS degree in Zoology with a minor in Biotechnology from North Carolina State University (2012).… Read more
Gretchen graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation.
She earned her MS with The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources in 2019… Read more
Heidi Garbe is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, first majoring in biology before earning her BS in Animal Science. She has been involved with a broad range of animals in many fields from domestics to exotics, leading multiple projects and elevating standards in animal… Read more
Dr. Jean Dubach has provided genetic research support to the Cook County Coyote Project for many years. Her research interests are broad but include looking at parasitology as it relates to genetics. She currently operates her conservation genetics lab within the Loyola University Hospital… Read more
Nicholas graduated from Unity College in 2020 with a BS in Wildlife Biology. Since graduating, he has worked with eastern wild turkeys in Maine, white-tailed deer in Kansas, marsh birds in Louisiana, northern bobwhites and mourning doves in multiple states throughout the southeastern United… Read more