Mentorship
“A teacher affects eternity;
one can never tell where their
influence stops”
~ Henry B. Adams
Travis serves as research advisor, committee member, and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students through his affiliate status at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Boise State University, and University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. He tries to integrate educational opportunities into all aspects of his career. Mentorship remains one of the most rewarding aspects of his job.
Undergraduate Students
Josh Spice
Josh assisted with summer Gyrfalcon research in western Alaska from 2005-2007. During that time, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and turned his field experiences into a job with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Josh currently is a Park Ranger and Digital Media Specialist with the National Park Service in Fairbanks, AK.
Joseph Eisaguirre
Joe assisted with a mark-recapture study of raptors on the Seward Peninsula, AK in 2013 as a sophomore in college. He completed his senior thesis research project on Alaska Gyrfalcon movement ecology, which he published in the Journal of Raptor Research. Joe went onto graduate school at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (see below) investigating Golden Eagle movement ecology.
Jessica Herzog
Jessica initiated an independent study of Golden Eagle diet on the Seward Peninsula in 2016 as a junior in college. She turned the project into both a peer-reviewed publication and her senior thesis. Her research won first place at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Dean’s Choice Award. She earned an M.S. in Environmental Toxicology from Texas Tech University in 2020.
Noah Andexler
Noah assisted with summer Gyrfalcon research in western Alaska in 2021 while an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. He conducted independent research on feather growth and Gyrfalcon aging, resulting in a manuscript he authored and submitted for peer review publication.
Elle Heiser
Elle assisted with Gyrfalcon research in Western Alaska in 2023 while an undergraduate student at Cornell University. She displayed significant adaptability and skill that summer, rolling with some unexpected travel plans for Travis while deeply enjoying and benefiting from her time on the tundra with cliff-nesting raptors.
Graduate Students
Michelle Cason (MS)
2013-2016. Michelle studied the distribution and biogeography of the endemic Alaska hare for her MS degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She is currently an Environmental Program Specialist with the Department of Military and Veteran’s affairs in Anchorage, AK.
Bryce Robinson (MS)
2013-2016. Bryce’s MS project researched the food habits of Gyrfalcons on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. He graduated from Boise State University with an MS degree in raptor biology and is currently a PhD student studying movement ecology, systematics, and genomics of the Red-tailed Hawk. Bryce is also a gifted avian illustrator; his work can be seen at Ornithologi.
Joseph Eisaguirre (PhD)
2015-2020. Joe’s PhD at the University of Alaska Fairbanks centered on understanding the mechanisms underpinning the movements and behaviors of Golden Eagles in Alaska. While a PhD student, Joe also earned an MS in Statistics by developing sophisticated models to analyze Golden Eagle telemetry data. He has been very successful in publishing his work in high level journals and is currently a Research Wildlife Biologist with the US Geological Survey in Anchorage, AK.
Michael Henderson (MS)
2016-2019. Michael researched how micro-habitat features at nest sites influence productivity and parental investment of Gyrfalcons on the Seward Peninsula, AK. He obtained his MS in raptor biology at Boise State University in 2019 and is currently the manager of The Peregrine Fund’s Gyrfalcon and Tundra Conservation Program. Michael returns to Alaska each summer where he works in close collaboration with Travis on various raptor research projects.
Devin Johnson (PhD)
2016-2021. Devin started as a field technician for The Peregrine Fund’s collaborative project on Gyrfalcon biology in western Alaska. He turned this experience into a PhD project starting in 2017 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks studying the mechanisms and processes that influence gyrfalcon distribution and abundance.
Chris Barger (PhD)
2018-Present. Chris started working with Travis as a Research Wildlife Biologist for the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game in 2012. He has been an invaluable collaborator since then and is an exceptionally skilled field biologist. In 2018, Chris initiated a PhD research project studying the movement ecology and population dynamics of the rare endemic Alaska hare at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Michaela Gustafson (MS)
2020 - 2023. Michaela completed her MS work at Boise State University studying the abundance, distribution, and habitat associations of Gyrfalcon prey on the Seward Peninsula, AK.
Michael Henderson (PhD)
2022 - Present. Michael is conducting his PhD work at Boise State University studying the breeding ecology of Gyrfalcons in Western Alaska.
Carter Freymiller (MS)
2023-Present. Carter is conducting his MS research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks studying the wintering movement ecology of Golden Eagles that summer in Alaska.
Sage Dale (MS)
2024-present. Sage is conducting her MS work at Boise State University studying the immunogenomics of Gyrfalcons and Peregrine Falcons.
Undergraduate Field Courses
Travis team-taught Arctic ecology classes with Dr. Robert Rosenfield through the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in both Greenland and Alaska and is always looking for new courses to offer. Through these experiential classes, students learn first hand the technical, logistical, and practical skills needed to conduct research in remote Arctic environments. Students then immediately apply these skills in ongoing research projects and spend up to two weeks camping, hiking, and collecting data at study sites. Participants gain a deeper ecological understanding and appreciation for these amazing ecosystems and often unexpectedly, discover a better understanding of themselves in the process.
Greenland Arctic Ecology and Peregrine Falcon Research 2008
Students get unique opportunities to learn how to handle wildlife for research. Their role in the class evolves as the course progresses from student to field technician. Eventually, the students take on the role of researcher and work as a team to implement the research project.
Greenland Arctic Ecology and Peregrine Falcon Research 2010
There is no better place to learn new techniques than in the field.
Alaska sub-Arctic Ecology and Gyrfalcon Research 2012
After watching, students apply their knowledge and safely collect biological samples.
Students often describe their experiences in these courses as life-changing moments that they remember forever.
Additional Outreach Education
Public Presentations
Travis enjoys and seeks-out opportunities to share his research findings with the general public through mentoring elementary classes, public presentations at local conservation organizations, and school presentations. During his PhD research, he presented educational talks to over 1,500 students.
Raptor Research Workshops
Travis created and implemented a series of annual workshops at Raptor Research Foundation conferences starting in 2010. He served as Workshop Coordinator until 2020 and during that time, 800 students received hands-on instruction on raptor research techniques from some of the world’s leading authorities. The workshops have become an integral part of the Foundation’s annual meetings.
Wildlife Society Student Chapter Involvement
Having been heavily influenced by the Wildlife Society as a student, Travis is a strong supporter of the local student chapter at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He regularly presents evening seminars in a series called “Wildlife Wednesdays” where students learn materials not taught in standard classes. Travis also provides educational field trips where students learn research methods first hand in a small group setting.
A student experiencing the massiveness of the Greenland ice sheet first hand.