Rae Wynn-Grant

Last updated
Rae Wynn-Grant
Born1985
Education Emory University (B.S.)

Yale University (M.S.)

Columbia University (Ph.D.)
Occupation(s) Ecologist, science communicator, YouTube series host
Website https://www.raewynngrant.com/

Rae Wynn-Grant is a large-carnivore ecologist and a fellow with National Geographic Society. She is best known for her research of the human impact on the behavior of black bears in Montana and is an advocate for women and people of color in the sciences.

Contents

Early life and education

Wynn-Grant was born in California. She says that, as a child, she spent time watching television shows about wildlife and conservation which inspired her interest in ecology. [1] Wynn-Grant received her B.S. in Environmental Studies from Emory University and her M.S. in Environmental Studies from The Yale School of the Environment at Yale University, and her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Columbia University. [2] She also completed a Conservation Science Research and Teaching Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History. [3]

Career

Wynn-Grant is an ecologist, storyteller, and science communicator. She is a current research fellow with National Geographic Society. She also serves as a visiting scientist position at the American Museum of Natural History and an adjunct professor at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University. [2]

Research

Wynn-Grant studies large carnivores with a focus on using statistical modeling to determine how human activity alters the spatial patterns of carnivore behavior and ecology. As a National Geographic Society fellow, she worked with the American Prairie to predict which human habitats will attract bears as part of the reserve's restoration efforts in northeast Montana. Wynn-Grant used camera traps, [4] geographic information systems and other research methods to study the movements of bears to better understand their habitat preferences and risk of being struck by vehicles or euthanized by local authorities. [5]

Other activities

From April to July 2021, Wynn-Grant hosted Crash Course Zoology, a fourteen-episode series on YouTube which focuses on different aspects of animal biology. [6] [7] In 2021, she was a collaborator for the Reebok x National Geographic collection of family-friendly shoes, alongside photographer Matthieu Paley. [8] She is the host and writer on the podcast series, Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant by PBS Nature, [9] which was honored in 2022 by the Webby Awards for Best Limited Series. [10]

Notable publications

Awards and leadership

Wynn-Grant is an advocate for women and people of color in the sciences. In 2019, the American Association for the Advancement of Science named her one of 100 IF/THEN Ambassadors, [11] a program designed to highlight women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields to create high-profile role models for middle school girls. [12] Wynn-Grant also serves as Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Officer on the Board of Governors for the Society for Conservation Biology. [3]

Wynn-Grant is committed to raising awareness of racism and equity in the sciences. In September 2019, she wrote a response to Sam Kean's feature, "Science's debt to the slave trade," [13] in Science. [14] Wynn-Grant criticized Kean's article for centering the motivations and work of white scientists in discussing the slave trade while including little on how Black people experienced the violence of slavery and how its legacy has influenced the participation of Black people in the sciences today. [14]

Wynn-Grant also serves on the board of directors for The Explorer's Club. [3]

Related Research Articles

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The giant panda, also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is used to distinguish it from the distantly related red panda. Adult individuals average 100 to 115 kg, and are typically 1.2 to 1.9 m long. The species is sexually dimorphic, as males are typically 10 to 20% larger. The fur is white, with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. A thumb is visible on the bear's forepaw, which helps in holding bamboo in place for feeding. Giant pandas have adapted larger molars and expanded temporal fossa to meet their dietary requirements.

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The leopard is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of 92–183 cm (36–72 in) with a 66–102 cm (26–40 in) long tail and a shoulder height of 60–70 cm (24–28 in). Males typically weigh 30.9–72 kg (68–159 lb), and females 20.5–43 kg (45–95 lb).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qinling</span> Mountain range in Shaanxi, China

The Qinling or Qin Mountains, formerly known as the Nanshan, are a major east–west mountain range in southern Shaanxi Province, China. The mountains mark the divide between the drainage basins of the Yangtze and Yellow River systems, providing a natural boundary between North and South China and support a huge variety of plant and wildlife, some of which is found nowhere else on earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apex predator</span> Predator at the top of a food chain

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References

  1. SFGATE, Ashley Harrell (2021-11-12). "What it's like to be a carnivore expert who can give CPR to bears". SFGATE. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  2. 1 2 "Rae Wynn-Grant". National Geographic Expeditions. 11 November 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Society, National Geographic. "Learn more about Rae Wynn-Grant". admin.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 2020-12-16.[ dead link ]
  4. Shufro, Cathy (20 December 2019). "Where the Bears Were". Yale School of the Environment. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  5. Wynn-Grant, Rae; Ginsberg, Joshua R.; Lackey, Carl W.; Sterling, Eleanor J.; Beckmann, Jon P. (2018-10-01). "Risky business: Modeling mortality risk near the urban-wildland interface for a large carnivore". Global Ecology and Conservation. 16: e00443. Bibcode:2018GEcoC..1600443W. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00443 . ISSN   2351-9894.
  6. 🐌 Crash Course Zoology Preview, 8 April 2021, retrieved 2021-04-15
  7. What is an Animal? Crash Course Zoology #1, 15 April 2021, retrieved 2021-04-15
  8. "Explore the New Reebok x National Geographic Shoe Collection That's Inspired By Nature". Mental Floss. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  9. "Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant | Podcast | Nature | PBS". Nature. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  10. "NEW Webby Gallery + Index". NEW Webby Gallery + Index. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  11. "#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit". ifthenexhibit.org. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  12. "Home Page | AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors Program". ifthen.aaas.org. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  13. Kean, Sam (2019-04-05). "Science's debt to the slave trade". Science. 364 (6435): 16–20. Bibcode:2019Sci...364...16K. doi:10.1126/science.364.6435.16. ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   30948535. S2CID   96435139.
  14. 1 2 Wynn-Grant, Rae (2019-09-20). "On reporting scientific and racial history". Science. 365 (6459): 1256–1257. Bibcode:2019Sci...365.1256W. doi:10.1126/science.aay2459. ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   31604232. S2CID   202699177.