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Can you tell us about your career journey since graduating - and what inspired you to take this path?

I began my career in the Mammal Lab at �����Ʊ during my undergraduate studies and completed an honours thesis on blue whale vocalizations along Australia’s coast. A research internship with “Save the Elephants” in Kenya soon followed, where I worked on the MIKE program and long-term mammal monitoring, an experience that sparked my passion for African conservation.

This led me to a PhD at �����Ʊ, focused on human-elephant conflict in Botswana with the NGO Elephants Without Borders (EWB). After completing my PhD in 2016, I remained with EWB for seven years as Coexistence & Education Manager, supporting research and community engagement to promote elephant conservation.

I’m now still based in Botswana, holding adjunct scholar roles with �����Ʊ and the Okavango Research Institute. I co-supervise students, continue research on human-wildlife coexistence, and am co-creating Botswana’s first elephant education centre. I'm also an active member of both the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group and the Botswana Human-Wildlife Conflict Working Group.

How has your science degree shaped your thinking or opened doors in your career?

The science degree and the science that I am a part of, and the impact of that work, is what has carved out my career and led to all the different and interesting opportunities I have been a part of since graduation. The different foundations and holistic approach of my undergraduate degree gave me the foundations for building an impactful conservation biology career.

Reflecting on your work today, how do you see it making a positive difference?

The research and work I do is very applied, and it is aimed to be impactful to both elephants and people living within the elephant range. I, in the past work closely with rural remote communities in Botswana in reducing their elephant conflict incidences, improving the quality and quantity of crop yields, and improving people’s safety in living in the elephant range. The research has been used to determine and highlight the importance of wildlife corridors both in urban and agricultural landscapes, with a number of these corridors being now designed in local land use plans. The research has been incorporated and used to shape national policies as a part of the Botswana Elephant Management plan.

Looking back, what skills or insights have been most valuable in your career and is there anything you wish you’d known when starting out?

Working on the ground on the frontlines in conservation especially in remote regions of the world, you can face constant challenges whether it be political situations within the country, breakouts of malaria or even a lack of funding or support. It is important to have your goals and objectives established but make sure they can be adapted for changes in circumstances. My mantra is, in order to make sure the work keeps going you have to have passion, persistence and patience in equal measure for your work.

How do you stay curious and keep learning in your professional life?

I love collaborating with any like-minded researchers or stakeholders that want to make a difference equally and fairly in reducing human-wildlife conflict. I love following and keeping up to date with different NGO’s, Conservation storytellers, and research institutions that work conservation that has an impact.

What change or innovation in your field are you most excited about for the future and what role do you hope to play in it?

I’m most excited about the growing integration of science, storytelling, and technology - particularly the use of film, participatory media, and real-time data - to shift narratives and inspire action on coexistence. For too long, the conversation around elephants and communities has been dominated by numbers and crisis headlines. But we’re now seeing a powerful shift: communities are becoming co-creators of their own conservation stories, and science is being translated in ways that connect with both policymakers and the public.

I believe that stories - when grounded in good science and told with honesty and empathy - can change how people see elephants, and more importantly, how they see themselves in relation to nature. I hope to play a role in bridging the gap between field-based research and wider public understanding by creating educational films and resources that not only share what we’ve learned about elephants and conflict but also elevate the voices of the communities who live with them every day.