John Vanek

PhD, Research Scientist/Zoologist at the New York Natural Heritage Program. Associate Wildlife Biologist® via The Wildlife Society.

Auburn, New York, United States

About

I am a broadly trained wildlife scientist and natural historian with expertise in field work (planning, managing, and executing), coding (R), occupancy modeling, GIS, remote sensing, urban ecology, and herpetology. I have cultivated a wide range of experiences working as a technician, student, and biologist for a wide variety of organizations, agencies, consulting firms, and universities. I have experience working with game and non-game species, as well as in the control of nuisance species. I also greatly enjoy teaching, be it introductory biology or advanced topics in wildlife science at the collegiate level (adjunct instructor), to workshops and seminars at nature centers (e.g. Illinois Master Naturalist Program), and I spent two years working as an environmental educator during graduate school. Each of the above paragraphs starts with "I". Does that bug anyone else but me?

Experience

  • Research Scientist (Zoologist) at New York Natural Heritage Program
    Apr 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 4 mos

  • Postdoctoral Researcher at Hobart and William Smith Colleges
    May 2021 - May 2022 · 1 yr 1 mo

  • Visiting Scholar at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
    May 2021 - May 2022 · 1 yr 1 mo

  • Northern Illinois University (4 yrs 10 mos)
    • Postdoctoral Fellow
      Jun 2020 - May 2021 · 1 yr

      I am a wildlife biologist and urban ecologist broadly interested in non-game ecology, conservation and management, with particular expertise in herpetology. I also strongly value outreach and education.

    • PhD Candidate
      Aug 2016 - Jun 2020 · 3 yrs 11 mos

      I combine boots-on-the-ground field work with ecological modeling to better understand the ecology and conservation of wildlife in urban nature reserves.

  • Consulting Wildlife Biologist at Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory
    Mar 2018 - Apr 2018 · 2 mos

    Trained technicians in mesocarnivore trapping, handling, processing, and telemetry.