Nicole Angeli, a former School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences postdoctoral fellow, is the new chief of wildlife at the Department of Planning and Natural Resources for the government of the Virgin Islands.
Angeli will take on the role of endangered species coordinator of the Virgin Islands, where she will be responsible for securing state wildlife grants and funding for the management of all terrestrial species within the territory and granting permits to agencies to conduct wildlife management work. She will also supervise biologists in the civil service and communicate with the people of St. Thomas, St. John, Water Island and St. Croix.
Angeli’s fellowship was with the Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit under SFWS Associate Research Professor and Acting Unit Leader Conor McGowan. Her responsibility was to use biological, stakeholder and monitoring information to create population models that inform management and support policy for endangered and threatened species. Additionally, she published an extensive amount of research during her time at Auburn.
“I’ve been given an extraordinary opportunity to develop professionally, facilitate and execute exciting research projects and apply for funding opportunities,” she said. “I added taxonomic, geographic and methodological diversity in my own work repertoire and to that of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.”
SFWS Dean Janaki Alavalapati commended Angeli’s work for broadening the study of endangered and threatened species on a national level. “Her outstanding contributions and dedication make her a superb choice to take on this important and influential role in the government of the Virgin Islands.”
Angeli said it is an honor to provide vision and leadership for the wildlife management of a U.S. Caribbean territory.
“I will bring the lessons that I learned at Auburn with me. I’d love to continue collaborating or hosting my friends and colleagues if they happen to come to the Virgin Islands,” she said.
Originally published in the SFWS Spring 2019 Newsletter.
(Written by Jamie Anderson)
