A baccalaureate program in wildlife and fisheries science can give students a broad-based education in wildlife, fish, their natural habitats, and their interactions with humans.
Wildlife and fisheries scientists find employment as wildlife and fisheries technicians and biologists, conservation officers, natural resource managers, information and education specialists, research scientists, teachers, and administrators. If your goal is a career in wildlife and fisheries science, you should consider attending graduate school. Bachelor of science graduates generally find technician-level jobs with state and federal agencies or with private firms.
Josh Mulhollem (B.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Science, 2008) applies ecology and public outreach to control the spread of aquatic invasive species
Matt Slifko is a biological science technician (wildlife) with the United States Forest Service. His responsibilities include working under the wildlife biologist to acquire scientific data to ensure that proper management strategies are pursued in the Boise National Forest. He also spends a great deal of time fighting wildfires.
Fisheries biologists work in a number of different areas that focus on fish, their habitats, and people.
Curt Wagner (B.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Science, 2001) is a district fisheries supervisor with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
Herpetologists study “herps.” Herps are what most people call reptiles and amphibians--snakes, frogs, turtles, and salamanders. Herpetologists study these creatures for many reasons: Herps can show us how healthy the water or land is where they live; they also play an important role in nature’s food chain because they eat other animals and insects.
Tim Oldread (BS, Wildlife and Fisheries Science, '02) became an instructor in the education department at SeaWorld Adventure Park.
Todd (Teddy) Fisher Jr.is currently a natural resources specialist (wildlife ecologist) with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks, in Montgomery County, MD. His main responsibility is to help develop and implement the comprehensive county-wide wildlife ecology work program on park property, focusing mainly on white-tailed deer management. He helps to implement a population monitoring program, managed hunting program, and park police-based sharpshooting program, all focused on white-tailed deer in the park and in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. He also assists the nuisance wildlife program as needed to address various issues regarding raccoons, beavers, Canada geese, coyotes, and groundhogs in the park.
Rolf Gubler (Forest Science, 1988; Wildlife Science, 1988) is a park ranger at Shenandoah National Park.
Megan Davis Reed (B.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Science, 2012) is helping the Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System and Assistant Director for External Affairs with a variety of administrative tasks and special projects related to wildlife conservation.
Jennifer Dreibelbis is a staff scientist at Pittsburgh Wildlife & Environmental, Inc. Her responsibilities include running presence/absence surveys for federally listed bat species, conducting habitat assessments and wetland delineations, and equipment management.
Wildlife biologists have a strong interest in the natural resources and a love of wildlife. Most wildlife biologists have a four-year college degree in wildlife management; many also have graduate degrees. This job requires hard work, but it is interesting and fun and has lots of variety. Most work is done outdoors.
April Sperfslage is a wildlife biologist aide with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Her primary responsibilities are to coordinate and plan field work for white-tailed deer research. She leads the deer trapping crews in the winter and fawn capture crews in the summer. Winter duties include baiting and monitoring clover traps and rocket net sites on public and private land for the Deer-Forest Study. Summer duties include catching fawns for the Fawn Survival Study, using radio telemetry to monitor and obtain estimated fawn locations, and conducting mortality investigations. She also occasionally assists with bear trapping and repairing vegetation plot fences.
Logan Zugay (B.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Science, 2011) is a wildlife biologist/environmental scientist with Skelly and Loy, Inc. Engineering Environmental Consultants. He is also a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/PA Fish and Boat Commission Qualified Phase 2 Bog Turtle Surveyor.
