Idaho Wolf Project Technicians hiking to a survey site in Idaho.

STAFF

The Idaho Wolf Project is supervised by Dr. David Ausband. The project employs year-round research scientists as well as graduate students and field technicians. Our field staff and graduate students are invaluable. Without their hard work and dedication, our project would not be possible.

Meet the Team

Assistant Unit Leader, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Email: dausband@uidaho.edu

Ph.D., University of Montana, Fish and Wildlife Biology, 2011-2015

M.S., University of Montana, Wildlife Biology, 2003-2005

B.S., University of Montana, Wildlife Biology, 2003

Dr. David Ausband

Dr. David Ausband is a U.S. Geological Survey wildlife research biologist. He started the Idaho wolf research project in 2006. Dave is the Assistant Unit Leader at the Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and is a faculty member at the University of Idaho where he supervises graduate students and teaches two graduate courses in wildlife science. Dave is also affiliate/adjunct faculty at the University of Montana and Washington State University.

Research Scientist

Peter Rebholz

Peter Rebholz is the project lead for the Idaho Wolf Project and has been researching wolves in Idaho since 2018. His research focuses on wolf behavior, vocalization, and the effects of harvest on wolves.

M.Sc., University of Idaho, Wildlife Biology, 2020-2022

Wildlife Technician & Web Design

Jessica Bylin

Jessica worked as a technician on the Idaho Wolf Project in 2022 and is the web design lead.

B.S., Western Washington University, Env. Sci.

The Ausband Lab

The Ausband Lab is comprised largely of distinguished students pursuing their Master’s and Doctorate degrees in wildlife studies. This lab is part of the Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in the College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Dr. Ausband also has students working on topics unrelated to the wolf project ranging from modeling snow cover to grizzly bear, black bear, and caribou conservation.

Wolf Project Graduate Students

Current graduate students of the Ausband Lab affiliated with the Idaho Wolf Project.

Ariana Cerrata collecting gray wolf scat.

Ph.D. Candidate

Ariana Cerreta

Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho

Ph.D. Dissertation title: Genetic and genomic effects of harvest on a cooperatively breeding carnivore

Ph.D. Student

Koryna Boudinot

Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho

Ph.D. Dissertation title: The dynamics of group stability in cooperatively breeding species

Former graduate students affiliated with the Idaho Wolf Project.

Ph.D. candidate in Biological Sciences

Heather Clendenin

Currently: University of Memphis

M.Sc., Thesis title: Monitoring wolf packs by counting litters: sibling reconstruction, from genetics to genomics. University of Idaho, 2019

Dr. Sarah Bassing deploying a trial camera to detect gray wolves in Idaho.

Research Scientist

Dr. Sarah B. Bassing

Currently: Montana State University

M.Sc., Thesis title: Harvest and persistence of wolf populations: variable effects of harvest on wolf packs in the Rocky Mountains. University of Montana, 2018

Quantitative Wildlife Research Scientist

Dr. Jennifer Stenglein

Currently: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

M.Sc., Thesis title: Evaluating the potential of noninvasive genetic sampling for monitoring gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Idaho. University of Idaho, 2009

M.Sc., Student in Statistics

Carisa Stansbury

Currently: University of Wyoming

M.Sc., Thesis title: Monitoring gray wolves (Canis lupus) using noninvasive genetic sampling at rendezvous sites, University of Idaho, 2012

M.Sc.

Kat Petersen

Currently: University of Idaho

M.Sc., Thesis title: Deciphering dispersal dynamics of a cooperatively breeding carnivore: investigating the impacts of harvest on dispersal of Idaho wolves, University of Idaho, 2025

Graduate Students

Graduate students of the Ausband Lab unaffiliated with the Idaho Wolf Project.

M.Sc. Student (former)

Brianna Lubenau

Currently: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

MSc thesis title: Effects of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance on the persistence of southern mountain caribou, Coadvised with Dr. Matt Falcy.

M.Sc. Student (Current)

Nate Rice

Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho

M.Sc., Thesis Title: Habitat Selection, Connectivity, and Translocations of Inland Continental Grizzly Bears

M.Sc. Student (former)

Kaitlyn Strickfaden

Currently: Ph.D. student, University of Montana, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit.

M.Sc., Thesis title: Novel methods for deriving snow depth from remote cameras and application to wildlife habitat and ungulate management, University of Idaho, 2022. Coadvised with Dr. Tim Link.

M.Sc. Student (former)

Matt Nelson

Currently: Ph.D. student, Michigan State University, Boone and Crockett Fellow

M.Sc., Thesis title: Bears, Berries, Bearings on the Landscape, University of Idaho, 2022

Interested in joining the Idaho Wolf Project as a wildlife technician or the Ausband Lab as a prospective graduate student?

Learn More

Donate Today

Your money will go directly to our current research efforts, The Idaho Wolf Project, and will help us survey for and sample wolves in Idaho.

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* CNR Carnivore Ecology is the designation for Idaho Wolf Project donations