Rhiannon Jakopak

I am an outreach coordinator and research scientist with the Monteith Shop in the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming. I enjoy thinking about mammal ecology (especially behavior!), how people across stakeholder groups value wildlife, and how science can influence law and policy decisions.

My CV What am I up to?

Research

Mammals are endlessly fascinating, and I try to take as much time as possible to learn from them. My published research has found that:

mule deer remain crepuscular while they're migrating, instead of switching to diurnal or nocturnal patterns, as some other species do.
stakeholders in Wyoming agree that something is amiss with mule deer populations, but do not agree on the culprit.
pikas store food in their haypiles (caches) in distinct layers.

My current research projects include:

how ungulates learn how to migrate.
how stakeholders simultaneously and separately value mule deer and elk.
whether chronic wasting disease (CWD) passes from mother to offspring.

Google Scholar

Engagement and Outreach

Science is great, but it doesn't do us any good if it isn't communicated, and our field needs new passionate people to join! Some of my engagement and outreach efforts include:

a board game about migration,
popular science articles about migrating salamanders, hybridizing mule and white-tailed deer, and jackalopes,
zines about biodiversity, and
talks for the public about mammals.

I really, truly love talking and writing about mammals and science. If you have an outreach and engagement event that you would like me to be a part of, please reach out!

Teaching

Teaching is among the most rewarding and important work we do, and I am thrilled whenever I get the opportunity to teach enthusiastic learners. I help coordinate the Wyoming Wildlife Fellowship, and I intermittently teach a practicum in science communication.

I am also committed to furthering my skills as an instructor through the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). I have published on active learning techniques, and I am a participant in the 2021 Learning Actively Mentorship Program (LAMP) at the University of Wyoming.

Teaching philosophy

Photos & Art

I do my best to capture some of the incredible things we experience as ecologists through my humble photography skills. I also dabble in printmaking and graphic design.