Rae Wynn-Grant

Rae Wynn-Grant is a large carnivore ecologist and a fellow with National Geographic Society. She is best known for her research of the human impact on the behavior of black bears in Montana and is an advocate for women and people of color in the sciences.

Early life and education

Wynn-Grant was born in California. As a child, she spent time watching television shows about wildlife and conservation which inspired her interest in ecology. Wynn-Grant received her B.S. in Environmental Studies from Emory University and her M.S. in Environmental Studies from Yale University, and her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Columbia University.[1] She also completed a Conservation Science Research and Teaching Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History.[2]

Career

Wynn-Grant is an ecologist, storyteller, and science communicator. She is a current research fellow with National Geographic Society. She also serves as a Visiting Scientist position at the American Museum of Natural History and an adjunct professor at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University.[1]

Research

Wynn-Grant studies large carnivores with a focus on using statistical modeling to determine how human activity alters the spatial patterns of carnivore behavior and ecology. As a National Geographic Society fellow, she worked with the American Prairie Reserve (APR) to predict which human habitats will attract bears as part of the APR's restoration efforts in northeast Montana. Wynn-Grant used camera traps,[3] geographic information systems and other research methods to study the movements of bears to better understand their habitat preferences and risk of being struck by vehicles or euthanized by local authorities.[4]

Notable publications

Awards and leadership

Wynn-Grant is an advocate for women and people of color in the sciences. In 2019, the American Association for the Advancement of Science named her one of 100 IF/THEN Ambassadors,[5] a program designed to highlight women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields to create high-profile role models for middle school girls.[6] Wynn-Grant also serves as Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Officer on the Board of Governors for the Society for Conservation Biology.[2]

Wynn-Grant is committed to raising awareness of racism and equity in the sciences. In September 2019, she wrote a response to Sam Kean's feature, “Science’s debt to the slave trade,”[7] in Science.[8] Wynn-Grant criticized Kean's article for centering the motivations and work of white scientists in discussing the slave trade while including little on how Black people experienced the violence of slavery and how its legacy has influenced the participation of Black people in the sciences today.[8]

Wynn-Grant also serves on the Board of Directors for The Explorer’s Club.[2]

References
  1. "Rae Wynn-Grant". National Geographic Expeditions. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  2. Society, National Geographic. "Learn more about Rae Wynn-Grant". admin.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  3. Shufro, Cathy. "Where the Bears Were". Yale School of the Environment. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  4. Wynn-Grant, Rae; Ginsberg, Joshua R.; Lackey, Carl W.; Sterling, Eleanor J.; Beckmann, Jon P. (2018-10-01). "Risky business: Modeling mortality risk near the urban-wildland interface for a large carnivore". Global Ecology and Conservation. 16: e00443. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00443. ISSN 2351-9894.
  5. "#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit". ifthenexhibit.org. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  6. "Home Page | AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors Program". ifthen.aaas.org. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  7. Kean, Sam (2019-04-05). "Science's debt to the slave trade". Science. 364 (6435): 16–20. Bibcode:2019Sci...364...16K. doi:10.1126/science.364.6435.16. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 30948535.
  8. Wynn-Grant, Rae (2019-09-20). "On reporting scientific and racial history". Science. 365 (6459): 1256–1257. Bibcode:2019Sci...365.1256W. doi:10.1126/science.aay2459. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 31604232. S2CID 202699177.
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