Courtney Conway, PhD
Unit Leader - Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Courtney grew up in Cincinnati and spent many of his weekends camping, hiking, backpacking, and climbing in OH, KY, and WV. He was motivated to find a career where he could continue to do these activities as part of his job, while still contributing to science.
Courtney joined the Arizona Unit in 2000 as Assistant Unit Leader and joined the Idaho Unit in 2011 as Unit Leader.
Courtney conducts research that bridges applied and conceptual questions in ecology primarily on birds and mammals of management or conservation concern in ecosystems throughout North America. His research has made substantive contributions to sampling designs and monitoring protocols for rare or listed species, and to our basic understanding of life history evolution, avian migration, mammal hibernation, and other iconic animal behaviors. The taxonomic breadth of his research program includes gamebirds, waterbirds, raptors, songbirds, and small mammals. He has developed and implemented numerous efforts to integrate management actions with experimental research treatments to rigorously examine the effectiveness of alternative management actions on animal populations. Dr. Conway teaches courses in Experimental Design, the Hypothetico-Deductive Method, Scientific Writing, Scientific Presentations, and a variety of graduate seminars and he mentors a large group of close-knit students and staff.
Courtney received a B.S. from Colorado State University, a M.S. from University of Wyoming, a Ph.D. from University of Montana, and was a post-doctoral fellow at SUNY-ESF in Syracuse. He spent a year working as a Research Associate at the Smithsonian’s Conservation Research Center in VA, 3 years at the University of Rhode Island, and 1 year at Washington State University.
Professional Experience
Unit Leader, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2011-
Assistant Unit Leader, Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2000-2011
Education and Certifications
Ph D University of Montana 1998
MS University of Wyoming 1990
BS Colorado State University 1985