Kathleen A. Carroll

Picture of Kathleen A. Carroll

Biography

Kathleen Carroll is the Assistant Professor of Quantitative Ecology at the University of Rhode Island.Kathleen has studied wildlife in Africa, South America, and North America and has backgrounds in wildlife conservation, marine biology, behavioural ecology, landscape ecology, statistics, education, and science communication. Kathleen’s understanding of a broad range of disciplines gives them a unique perspective on ecological and conservation strategies across a range of taxa. Kathleen collaborates directly with managers and agencies to ensure their work results in actionable conservation initiatives.

Research

Members of the Quest Lab at URI primarily focus on wildlife conservation ecology questions while relying on various spatial datasets and statistical tools.

Specifically, we study how to better model and map species movement, habitat use, and community structure to inform conservation, human-wildlife interactions, and land-use planning across multiple spatial scales and levels of biological organization. To address these questions, we use extensive species datasets, landscape metrics, camera trapping, species telemetry, GIS, and remote sensing. To connect our models and maps to conservation action, we recognize the importance of assessing, validating, and comparing different strategies and outputs of spatial products. 

Education

Ph.D., Montana State University, Ecology and Environmental Science, 2019

Certificate in College Teaching, Montana State University, 2019

Certificate in Applied Statistics, Montana State University, 2018

M.S., University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Environmental Science, 2016

BS, University of Maine, Wildlife Ecology, 2013

BS, University of Maine, Marine Sciences, 2013

Selected Publications

 
  • Carroll, Kathleen A., et al. “Mapping multiscale breeding bird species distributions across the United States and evaluating their conservation applications.” Ecological Applications 34.2 (2024): e2934.
  • Carroll, Kathleen A., et al. “Increasing equitable access to graduate education through competitive hiring in the life sciences.” New Directions for Higher Education 2023.201-202 (2023): 21-31.
     
  • Carroll, Kathleen A., et al. “Mapping breeding bird species richness at management‐relevant resolutions across the United States.” Ecological Applications 32.6 (2022): e2624.
  • Fisher, Jason T., et al. “Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in a changing landscape and warming climate: A decadal synthesis of global conservation ecology research.” Global Ecology and Conservation 34 (2022): e02019

Full publication list at Google Scholar