What's U.P.?

Highlighting news from B&C’s University Programs (U.P.) and its Fellows

The Boone and Crockett Club's University Programs is designed to provide science-based knowledge from seasoned wildlife professionals and educators to college graduates in the wildlife field to better prepare the graduates for the responsible and wise management of wildlife in the future.

Meet the Fellows

Marco Salvo

Marco Salvo is a master's student advised by Dr. Joshua Millspaugh at the University of Montana who is working to reduce bird strike risk to military aircraft at US Air Force Bases. By utilizing radar systems which are designed to track birds, he has implemented machine learning models which can identify bird radar tracks as songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, herons, and gulls. He has also identified how weather and timing influences bird activity, finding that low windspeeds, strong tailwinds, and clear skies all increase bird flight activity. This information is being used by Air Force flight safety staff to understand the types of birds flying around their base's and predict when more birds will be flying, improving their ability to reduce bird strikes with aircraft. Marco plans to continue solving pressing wildlife management issues for state, federal, and non-governmental partners with Dr. Joshua Millspaugh at the University of Montana after graduating this fall.

Andi Stewart

Andi Stewart is a PhD candidate and Boone and Crockett Fellow in Wildlife Biology Program at the University of Montana working with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to study elk population dynamics in northwest Montana. In this area, there are increasing concerns about low elk harvest numbers and uncertainty about the status of elk populations. She has completed three intensive field seasons to estimate adult female and male survival, calf survival, and pregnancy rates as well evaluating how predation and nutrition influence these vital rates. She has GPS collared 141 adult elk, 27 6-month-old calves, and 156 neonatal calves. All this information will be used to assess factors influencing population growth which will aid in the development of analytical tools needed to inform habitat management, carnivore harvest, and elk harvest recommendations. Andi has presented initial results from her work at public events as well as at state and national conferences, such as The Wildlife Society national conference. She is also working to publish part of her research which is evaluating the influence of habitat selection decisions on seasonal adult female survival. Andi is excited to continue working towards completing her degree and continue collaborating with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to help provide the information needed to make management decisions for achieving elk population objectives in northwest Montana.  

Alejandra Hiers

Alejandra (Ale) Hiers is a PhD candidate and Boone and Crockett Fellow in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University, investigating gray wolf population ecology in the Great Lakes region. She has published work evaluating the impacts of wolf harvest and lethal management in Wisconsin on pack persistence and reproduction, and is currently characterizing gray wolf mortality patterns using a long-term telemetry database in collaboration with state, Tribal, and federal partners. During her PhD work, Ale also conducted research on human-caused wolf mortality, predator-prey dynamics, and lion (Panthera leo) space-use and authored several publications and book chapters that will be published in the coming year. She is excited to complete her degree this year and see how her research findings contribute to science-based wolf management. Ale is also looking forward to continuing her work with Chu Cho Environmental, an Indigenous-owned consulting company in northern British Columbia, where she has been working as a wildlife biologist since March 2025. 

Read More About Ale's Research

Chloe Nouzille

Chloe is a PhD student and Boone and Crockett Fellow at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She is studying mountain lion movement and foraging ecology in South Texas. She has most recently presented work at state, national, and international conferences on mountain lion movement around the border barrier system between Texas and Mexico. This work will provide guidance for Customs and Border Protection in their efforts to secure the southern border while mitigating impacts on mountain lion populations. She is also using camera data and GPS data to quantify mountain lion distribution, density, and prey selection, information last collected in the region over 20 years ago. Chloe hopes to inform future changes to state management, as Texas is the only state with mountain lions that does not currently have a formal management plan.

Read More About Chloe's Research