Sidney Brenkus, MS, Research Associate
I am a Research Associate in the Walsh Lab working in collaboration with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to study bighorn sheep disease in the Highlands Mountains of Southwest Montana. I received my bachelor's degree in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. During this, I gained hands-on experience working as a research technician across many different projects including my senior project with the Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit where I studied Canada geese nesting success using step-length and net square displacement. I then earned my master’s degree at the University of Memphis where my thesis 1) identified behaviors and clinical signs in bighorn sheep that indicate Bighorn Sheep Respiratory Disease presence at the population level and 2) provided community science tools that managers, parks, and landowners can use to proactively monitor bighorn sheep populations for outbreaks of BHSRD. Currently, I am continuing work with bighorn sheep and disease in the Walsh Lab where we are studying the impacts of a test-and-removal approach to managing BHSRD. My overall research interests include wildlife management, disease, outreach and education, and animal behavior.