Abby Guthmann
Research Q & A
What’s your hometown?
I am from St. Paul, MN.
Where are you working on research/field work?
My research takes place north of the Maasai Mara in Kenya. I’m interested in the impacts of livestock on large herbivore populations, as they coexist perpetually in this landscape (for better or worse).
What are you currently working on?
The Bell Museum Fellowship allowed me to work in Kenya for 5 months this year establishing over 40 new remote camera traps to observe how wildlife move around humans and their cattle. This time was also spent building connections and training staff in the conservancies I collaborate with.
How did you get started/what drew you to your area of study?
As an undergraduate I had the opportunity to study abroad in Tanzania, where I first was awed by the diversity of wildlife in Eastern Africa. Between undergraduate and graduate school I worked several jobs as a technician studying wildlife behavior in human-altered environments, in particular studying carnivore species in urban landscapes.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to follow in your footsteps?
Try things out! Take a summer job that allows you to practice new skills. Take positions adjacent to the kind of career you may want. If you know that graduate school is something you want to pursue, it will always be there for you when you’re ready to move forward.
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