Why did you choose SFS as a study abroad program?

I had always wanted to help wildlife; however, I wasn't sure in what capacity. SFS offered the opportunity to experience conservation first-hand and get a feel for what it would mean to work in the field as a wildlife researcher. And I'd always dreamed of studying wildlife in Africa. SFS had everything I was looking for.

Reflecting back on your time in the program, what did you gain from your SFS experience?

The funny thing was that although I loved the experience of doing field work first-hand, I decided that I, personally, could do more good for conservation with policy work than with field research. This is something I never would have known without the SFS course. As soon as I got back to the University of Michigan, I switched my focus from science to pre-law and have been doing wildlife conservation from a policy and education perspective ever since.

What is your most profound or lasting memory from your SFS program?

I actually met and shared a hut with a student who ended up being the best man in my wedding fifteen years later. He was the first vegetarian I had ever met, and he inspired me to give up meat as well (15 years and still going). We bonded over the experience of studying in Africa and our passion for wildlife conservation, and we have stayed friends ever since. Actually, everyone on the course had that same passion for adventure and wildlife. The course attracted amazing people. Since then, I have run into other students and instructors from my class who have also devoted their lives to wildlife conservation and the environmental movement.

What advice would you give to a prospective SFS student?

Find a course that fits your personality, and go for it.

What do you do for work?

I've been doing wildlife conservation work since leaving law school. Some of my career highlights have included spending two months in India filming a documentary on tigers, creating the flagship endangered species program for a national conservation group, traveling the Brazilian pantanal for an educational wildlife expedition, and working for the U.S. government on a 10-million dollar grant program to help internationally endangered species. Over a year ago, I was offered the job of DC Office Director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). In this position, I head-up U.S. policy for an international organization that carries out wildlife conservation and animal welfare projects in over thirty countries around the world.

I work with a staff of 12 dedicated professionals (lobbyists, lawyers, communicators, and policy experts) who analyze opportunities for creating or improving U.S. wildlife policy to better conserve wildlife and promote animal welfare. This means working with government officials, businesses, scientists, congressmen, or fellow conservationists -- whatever is necessary to promote and advance sound wildlife practices in the U.S.

Recently, I was part of a significant conservation victory in which my office speared-headed an investigation into U.S. websites being used as platforms for buying and selling endangered species and their parts, in particular the sale of elephant ivory. This was part of a massive global investigation that IFAW was coordinating, and as a direct result of our work, the world’s largest buyer-seller website, eBay, agreed to ban ivory on all their sites.

Outside my day-job with IFAW, I've been able to work with some organizations that are doing fantastic work for species conservation. I am on the Board of Directors for the Jaguar Conservation Fund of Brazil, and I am on the Steering Committee for the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Tapir Specialist Group, both of which have given me the chance to work on strategies to help these imperiled Latin American species. I’ve also done advisory work in Australia for the Australian Koala Foundation, helping to draft a national koala conservation law.

Did your SFS experience contribute to where you ended up?

I saw my first wild elephants when I was on the SFS course in Kenya. That experience motivated me and forced me to think through how I could best make a difference in wildlife conservation as a career. Now, many years later, I was directly part of a victory that will stop thousands of elephant ivory pieces from being sold online. This victory will mean fewer opportunities for selling ivory from poached elephants, a species still seriously threatened with extinction.

What are the two most essential skills that got you to your position?

My passion and commitment for wildlife conservation got me where I am today. I always knew what I wanted to do, and I pursued it with vigor, taking advantage of every opportunity to learn more about the field and meet people involved in it. 

What advice do you have for other SFS alumni looking to get into your field?  What do you wish someone told you?

Network aggressively and don’t be afraid to take chances. And most importantly, if you are going to pursue wildlife conservation as a career, take advantage of every opportunity to get out into the field and see the animals you are working to protect. It will keep you motivated.