Karen Beard

Biography

Karen Beard is a Professor in the Department of Wildland Resources. Through the Community and Global Change Ecology Lab, she and her students conduct research on (1) how climate change affects wildlife and the consequences for ecosystem functioning, and (2) how introduced, non-native species alter environments in ways that influence human–wildlife interactions. Their research spans Alaska, Hawaiʻi, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Utah, and encompasses a wide range of taxa, from amphibians and birds to plants and microbes. The overarching goal of this work is to inform better decisions for managing habitats and species in the face of global change. She prioritizes educational components and building research capacity into each project.