Nikki Cavalieri

NE CASC Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Researcher

UMass Amherst

Research Interests

My research interests are conservation, biogeography, and life-history evolution. My current research
combines conservation and biogeography to identify areas that will be less impacted or more resilient to
climate change- climate change refugia. This work will highlight areas for prioritizing conservation
actions and help conservation managers make better water and land use decisions to help wildlife adapt
to a changing climate.

Project

Climate-Smart Conservation for Tanzania: Mapping Climate Change Refugia for Priority Resources

Affiliations

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts

Education

Dual Ph.D.: Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, and Zoology. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan-2021

M.S.: Zoology. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater Oklahoma-2010.

Dual B.S.: Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology, and Honors College Degree. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater Oklahoma-2006

Experience

Postdoctoral Researcher, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellow, USGS, May 2021-present

Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Dec 2021-May 2022

Lead Teaching Assistant, Michigan State University, Fall 2019 - Fall 2013

Natural Science Collections Intern, Michigan State University Museum, Summer 2019

Adjunct Professor, Lansing Community College, Spring 2012

Blueprints Diversity Technical Writing Intern, The Nature Conservancy, 2011

Collections Manager (Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles), Oklahoma State University Collection of Vertebrates, Oklahoma State University, 2008-2010

Teaching Assistant, Oklahoma State University, Fall 2006-Spring 2008

Field technician, Survey of small mammals of western Oklahoma, The Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2006

Data entry technician, Oklahoma State University Collection of Vertebrates, Oklahoma State University, 2006

Research technician, Black Mesa herpetological survey, The Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2005-2006

Wildlife intern, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, 2002-2005

+7 more

Publications

Cavalieri, C. N. 2021. Geographic Variation in Skull Morphology of the Bone Cracking Hyenas, Crocuta
crocuta and Hyaena hyaena. Doctoral dissertation. Michigan State University.

Pearsall, D., P. Carton de Grammont, C. Cavalieri, P. Doran., L. Elbing, D. Ewert, K. Hall, M. Herbert, M.
Khoury., S. Mysorekar., S. Neville., J. Paskus., and A. Sasson. 2012. Michigami: Great Water.
Strategies to Conserve the Biodiversity of Lake Michigan. Technical Report. A joint publication of
The Nature Conservancy and Michigan Natural Features Inventory. 309 pp. with Appendices.

Pearsall, D., P. Carton de Grammont, C. Cavalieri, C. Chu, P. Doran, L. Elbing, D. Ewert, K. Hall, M.
Herbert, M. Khoury, D.Kraus, S. Mysorekar, J. Paskus and A. Sasson 2012. Returning to a Healthy
Lake: Lake Erie Biodiversity Conservation Strategy. Technical Report. A joint publication of The
Nature Conservancy, Nature Conservancy of Canada, and Michigan Natural Features Inventory.
340 pp. with Appendices.

Cavalieri, C.N. 2010. Ecology and Natural History of Three Oklahoma Skinks Species. M.S. Thesis.
Oklahoma State University.