ALWRI Welcomes New Aquatic Ecologist, Kellie Carim

Woman in yellow sunglasses holds small fish, while smiling at the camera

The Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute is excited to welcome Dr. Kellie Carim to our team!

Kellie is an aquatic biologist whose research has focused on using genetic information and tools to inform management of freshwater fish and aquatic ecosystems. She graduated from Carleton College (Northfield, MN) with a B.A. in Biology in 2006 and from the University of Montana (Missoula, MT) with a Ph.D. in Fish and Wildlife Biology in 2013. Kellie joins the Leopold Institute from a joint position with the University of Montana and the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, National Genomic Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation.

Kellie may be best known for her work using environmental DNA methods to understand the presence and distribution aquatic species on both local and landscape scales. However, her research experiences are broad and include aspects of landscape ecology, invasive species management, population dynamics, and stream restoration in addition to traditional population genetics research. Over the last five years, Kellie has also worked as a tribal project coordinator, building collaborations with nearly 20 Native American Tribes and natural resource agencies in the western U.S. She looks forward focusing her research and building further partnerships to address management needs for the National Wilderness Preservation System.