Congratulations, Dr. Carson Pakula!

Join us in congratulating Dr. Carson Pakula in the successful defense of his PhD! Dr. Pakula is originally from Canton, Michigan, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation from Central Michigan University in 2020. His passion for wildlife biology further developed throughout his undergraduate studies while working in a wildlife research lab, where he studied black-footed ferret inbreeding and paternity and the effects of hiking trails on mammal populations. He earned his PhD in Forestry and Natural Resources from the University of Georgia at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Travis DeVault and Dr. Olin Rhodes Jr. His dissertation investigated the causes of wildlife-vehicle collisions through the perspectives of both driver and animal behavior. Specifically, he evaluated how well drivers could see wildlife at night and the effects of vehicle lighting on white-tailed deer and wild pig behavior. Currently, Carson is a postdoctoral researcher for the UGA Deer Lab working under the direction of Dr. Gino D’Angelo and Dr. Travis DeVault. He is leading a critical literature review of the causes of wildlife-vehicle collisions and the potential efficacy of crossing structures as a mitigation strategy for the Georgia Department of Transportation.