Kol joined the Applied Wildlife Ecology & Spatial Movement (AWESM) lab in the Fall of 2024 as a Cabela’s Apprenticeship Undergraduate student. She is currently working on her degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Grassland Systems, Ecology and Management with special interest in habitat connectivity across the Great Plains.

Kol will be researching the umbrella species concept as it applies to pheasant occupancy and native grassland bird populations. She is most excited to see if the conservation of pheasant habitat could be a bridge for the protection of less abundant grassland birds.

Kol is very interested in vegetation dynamics and the interaction of plants and wildlife. Upon graduation she hopes to gain more experience in grassland habitat management and eventually pursue a master’s degree relating to rangeland conservation and restoration. Kol will graduate from UNL in the Spring of 2025.