Sonja Ann Christensen

Sonja Ann Christensen Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Boone and Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center Michigan State University 480 Wilson Rd East Lansing, MI 48824 Mobile Phone: 410-629-9076 E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

EDUCATION PhD candidate, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Admitted Fall 2013. Michigan State University, Quantitative Wildlife Center, Boone and Crockett Fellow. Advisors: Dr. David Williams and Dr. William Porter. GPA = 4.0

M.S. Degree, Wildlife and Fisheries Science; May 2010. The Pennsylvania State University. Thesis Title: Movement and Habitat Use of Sika and White-Tailed Deer on Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland. Advisor: Dr. Duane Diefenbach; GPA = 3.81

B.S. in Biology: Ecology emphasis, Minor: Geography; December 2005. Minnesota State University, Mankato. GPA = 3.48 Cum Laude

EMPLOYMENT Graduate Research Assistant – Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan: August 2013 – Present. Specialization in Disease Ecology and Conservation Medicine Research advisors (August 2013 - present):Dr. William Porter and Dr. David Williams Dissertation Title: Population dynamics and disease patterns in white-tailed deer: understanding the role of a newly emergent virus. This research seeks to disentangle the role of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) on deer populations at local and landscape scales where the disease has been recently emerging. This includes monitoring the recovery of local deer populations over a five- year period, evaluating tools to assess deer abundance, collecting and evaluating information on local herd immunity, and understanding climatic and environmental drivers of EHD across management scales.

Graduate Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant – University of Montana, Missoula, MT: August 2011 – August 2013. Research advisor (November 2012 – August 2013): Dr. Paul Krausman Research projects: . Caribou resource selection in Newfoundland . Dynamics and social issues of overpopulated deer ranges in the United States: a long term assessment . Research advisor (August 2011 - November 2012): Dr. Mark Hebblewhite o Research project: . Evaluating bottom-up and top-down effects on elk survival and recruitment: a case study in the bitterroot valley

Deer and Moose Project leader-Wildlife Biologist, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Westborough, MA: April 2008 – August 2011 . Supervisor: Tom O’Shea, Wildlife Chief of MDFW

Sonja A. Christensen Page 1 . Conducted research and long term planning to effectively manage Massachusetts's deer resource. . Prepared Pittman-Robertson Reports for white-tailed deer and moose projects. . Developed annual antlerless permit allocations and was responsible for processing of deer permits. . Provided technical guidance, thinking and supervision to district and support staff assigned to deer checking stations. . Represented DFW as deer project leader through regional conferences, preparing and reviewing Journal articles and advising municipalities, state, and federal agencies as well as the general public. . Oversaw and permitted captive cervid facilities . Functioned as primary biologist for moose management needs. . Informed the public regarding Division activities. . Conducted investigation of parasitic, viral, bacterial, and prion agents in the Cervidae family, including Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance and monitoring program. Graduate Research Assistant – Master of Science, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University Park, Pennsylvania: January 2006 – May 2008. . Research advisor: Dr. Duane Diefenbach . Thesis title: Habitat Use of Sika and White-Tailed Deer on Assateague Island National Seashore. . Evaluated comparative resources selection, survival rates, and movement ecology of two species of deer on a barrier island ecosystem in Maryland.

Wildlife Research Biologist Paraprofessional, MN Department of Natural Resources, Farmland Wildlife Research, Madelia, Minnesota: November 2004 – January 2006 . Supervisor: Dr. Marrett Grund; Research Projects (assisted at varying levels): . Landscape Level Analysis of Farmland Deer Management Units in Minnesota . Furbearer Scent Post Surveys . Identifying Forest Ecosystem Indicators Related to Overabundant Deer in Northern Minnesota . White-tailed deer fetus Surveys . Distance Sampling for white-tailed deer abundance estimates . Goal-Setting with white-tailed deer hunters . Hunter Surveys

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVICE . Fish and Wildlife Health Initiative Steering Committee of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (committee coordinator, working with chair Becky Humphries) – Present . Executive Board Member, MI TWS - Elected Feb 2015 . The Wildlife Society Member – 2008-Present . The North Central Section of The Wildlife Society – Present . The Michigan Chapter of The Wildlife Society - Present . MSU Chapter of the Wildlife Disease Association (Vice President, co-founder)- Present  MSU Fisheries and Wildlife GSO – Fundraising committee (chair)-Sept. 2013-May 2015

AWARDS AND HONORS (Only since attendance at Michigan State University)

Sonja A. Christensen Page 2 . Graduate Research Enhancement Fellowship: Attendance to sampling workshop at St. Andrews University, Scotland. Summer 2014. $1,000. Michigan State University. . Graduate Student Organization Travel Award, Summer 2014. $150. Michigan State University. . Joseph G. Schotthoefer Memorial Student Award, Safari Club International Michigan Involvement Commitee, September 2014. $2,000. . The Hal and Jean Glassen Conservation Medicine Fellowship through the Glassen Memorial Foundation, the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University. 2015 award. $8,000 RECENT PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND OUTREACH . Invited guest, Michigan Out of Doors TV: EHD episode #1537, Sept 2015 . Invited guest, WLEW Radio – Outdoors DNR live call-in show, Sept. 24 2015 . Invited guest, Wild Michigan Radio show with Duran Martinez. Dec. 20th 2014. . Invited speaker, Safari Club International Lansing chapter, December 11th 2014. . FW 238 – Fish and Wildlife Field Experience, part-time instructor, May 2015 . Guest lecturer, FW 424 (analysis of wildlife populations) MSU November 2014. . Guest lecturer, ENT 401 (arthropod vector disease ecology course) Kellogg Biological Station, June 2014 and June 2015 . Reviewer, The Northeast Naturalist 2014

MENTORING Kali Rush – MSU Fisheries and Wildlife undergraduate, presented our research poster at The Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference 2015 and TWS Winnipeg, 2015. Current mentee.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Krausman, P. R., Christensen, S. A., McDonald J. E., and Leopold B. D. 2014. Dynamics and social issues of overpopulated deer ranges in the United States: a long term assessment. Journal of California Fish and Game, 100(3): 434-448.

Wagner, T., Diefenbach, D. R., Christensen, S. A., Norton, A. S. 2011. Using Multilevel Models to Quantify Heterogeneity in Resource Selection. Journal of Wildlife Management, 75: 1788 – 1796.

McDonald, J., Christensen S., Deblinger R., Woytek W. 2009. An alternative to climate change for explaining species loss in Thoreau’s woods. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:E28.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS (of those in 2015) Rudolph, R. W. F. Porter, D. M. Williams, S. A. Christensen. 2015. A science-based response to Chronic Wasting Disease. Oral presentation at the annual meeting of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, August 2015, Roscommon, Michigan.

Christensen, S. A., D. M. Williams, W. F. Porter, B. Rudolph, and A. C. Dechen Quinn. 2015. Assessing Local-Scale Population Abundance of White-tailed Deer Following a Disease Event. Presented at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2015 Deer Management Forum. 11 April 2015, Roscommon, MI.

Christensen, S. A., D. M. Williams, W. F. Porter, B. Rudolph, and A. C. Dechen Quinn. 2015. Assessing Local-Scale Population Abundance of White-tailed Deer Following a Disease Event. Presented at the Michigan Chapter of the Wildlife Society. 27 March 2015, Clare, MI.

Sonja A. Christensen Page 3 Christensen, S. Emerging disease issues for Michigan deer. Presented at The Lansing Rotary Club meeting. 9 July 2015, Lansing, MI.

Sonja A. Christensen Page 4