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Isaac VanDiest
Biological Sciences
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Isaac is a PhD student in Biological Sciences. As a member of Dr. Kendra Sewall’s lab, he focuses on the differences in the behavior of urban and rural song sparrows. His dissertation will focus on how nestling development is affected by differences in adult food choice, showcasing the impact that urbanization has on even the hardiest of species. Isaac received a B.S in terrestrial wildlife biology from the University of Montana in 2016. While taking just about every terrestrial class that had a field lab, he began to develop a passion for field work. During his undergraduate degree Isaac assisted on bio-acoustic projects focused on how birds communicate differing threat levels to a mixed flock, and how this communication propagated through different habitat types. He also spent two summers evaluating the nesting success of the Lewis’ woodpecker in burned vs. riparian forests.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”44727″ img_size=”275×355″ style=”vc_box_border”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After graduating, Isaac worked for the U.S. Forest Service on the Malheur National Forest as a field technician studying nesting success, occupancy, and abundance of white-headed, black-backed, and Lewis’ woodpeckers. The question being asked was: “How does salvage logging affect woodpecker populations in burned forest?”, which had great conservation implications that the public did not always agree with. Seeing this disconnect between the science, resource management strategies, and public opinion, Isaac joined the IGC with the hope to gain the necessary skills to bridge the gaps in communication between these different stakeholders.
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In the News
IGC GSO transitions to new officers for 2020-2021
Congratulations to Recipients of the 2020-21 IGC Fellowship!
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