ACADEMIA
FEATURED RESEARCH
Graduate Researcher
2025 - Current | University of Idaho
Dr. Simona Picardi, Principal Investigator
Pronghorn Responses to Fence Improvements in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Pronghorn movement is increasingly disrupted by fences that block migration across open landscapes. Unlike other ungulates, pronghorn rarely jump, leading to entanglement and mortality. This project evaluates the effectiveness of wildlife-friendly fencing by combining GPS collar data with trail-camera monitoring and applying quantitative ecology methods to measure changes in movement and crossing behavior. Findings will provide evidence to guide conservation strategies that protect migration routes while supporting coexistence with working lands.
International Research (Undergraduate)
2024-2025 | University of Idaho
Dr. Christine Parent, Principal Investigator
Comparison of Ecomorphospaces of Land Snail Communities on Island and Nearby Mainland.
Land snails provide a unique model for studying how environment shapes biodiversity. This project examines communities in the Peruvian Andes and Galápagos Islands using geometric morphometrics and genetic analyses to assess shell morphology, phylogenetic relationships, and species diversity. Findings contribute to understanding how environment influences adaptation and diversity, advancing both evolutionary biology and conservation science.
Day Scott is a wildlife biologist and graduate student whose academic journey has been profoundly shaped by a life-altering car accident involving a herd of pronghorn, resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her resilience and passion for wildlife conservation have driven her pursuit of higher education, transforming obstacles into opportunities for growth and positive change.
She has contributed to avian ecology projects across the American West, including studies on burrowing owl recovery, migration patterns, and the population dynamics of cavity-nesting forest owls. She has also engaged in international research on the morphology and ecological roles of land snails, with fieldwork in Peru aimed at understanding the factors that drive their adaptations across island and mainland systems. Her work centers on wildlife ecology and conservation, with a focus on animal movement and behavior, quantitative ecology, and interdisciplinary approaches to human–wildlife interactions.
Day is a graduate researcher studying pronghorn movement and behavior, focusing on how fences influence movement across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Her long-term goal is to earn a PhD and advance her lifelong commitment to wildlife research and conservation.
Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Sciences, May 2025
University of Idaho - Moscow, ID
GPA: 3.85
Honors:
Dean's List; McNair Scholar; Doris Duke Conservation Scholar; National Forestry Honor Society (Xi Sigma Pi), National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)
American Malacological Society / Western Society of Malacology Conference
Los Angeles, CA (August 2024)
Best Student Presenter Award
