KYRA RICCI SHAW
Kyra Ricci Shaw, Ph.D.
I’m Dr. Kyra Shaw, an environmental communicator and wildlife ecologist. My graduate research (PhD, Wildlife Ecology, UW–Madison) focused on understanding how visual art can be used as a tool for wildlife education and outreach. I am currently working at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where I am focused on promoting community involvement in wildlife conservation through social science research and the Snapshot Wisconsin community science program.
My goals
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Promote community involvement in wildlife conservation and management.
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Integrate ecological and social science to protect natural resources and heritage.
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Share the wonder of nature through creative applications of visual storytelling.
About Me
Current Role
Research Scientist and Snapshot Phenology Project Coordinator at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Office of Applied Science
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Past Appointments
PhD Candidate in the Hua Lab at UW-Madison, Department of Wildlife Ecology
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow (GRFP)
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My Story
I grew up in a small town north of Scranton, Pennsylvania. I received my B.S. in Biology (2020) from Coastal Carolina University (South Carolina, USA), where I carried out research assistantships in neurogenetics, cancer biology, and an international research internship in molecular circadian biology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland (Zurich, CH). In 2020, I began my doctoral studies in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at Binghamton University (New York, USA) with Dr. Jessica Hua, where I investigated the use of visual storytelling as a tool to teach about amphibian conservation. In the Fall of 2022, I moved with the Hua Lab to continue this work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Wisconsin, USA) in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. After graduating, I joined the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where I currently work as a Research Scientist and Project Coordinator on the Snapshot Wisconsin community science program.
About Me
Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, exploring local museums, taking care of my many houseplants, reading, and playing French horn.
