Chris Lepczyk is Alumni Professor of Wildlife Biology and Conservation in the College of Forestry, Wildlife & Environment. He has worked for more than 25 years on understanding factors that negatively impact nature using a socioecological systems approach aimed at improving policy and management of species, land, and society to restore nature.  He has worked with landowners, non-profit organizations, city planners, and state and federal government agencies on invasive and endangered species management, conservation prioritization, and policy.

Chris has significantly advanced the science and management of free-ranging house cats and the effects of urbanization and pollution on birds. His research has been used in cities through federal policy initiatives, cited in the federal register, and highlighted by a variety of media organizations.

His research efforts on free-ranging cats and their devastating ecological impact have been used in legislation and policy efforts from city to federal levels in both the US and abroad. His recent policy publication, co-signed by nearly 20 leading scientists from around the world, provided the ecological and legal reasons for designating free-ranging cats an invasive species.

Chris also works extensively in urban ecology, using citizen science and international collaborations to demonstrate the importance of cities for nature conservation, and as places where people connect with nature.

During the Covid 19 Pandemic he independently created and initiated a new participatory science project called Yardversity that is being used by nature centers around the country. Yardversity was created to get people outside to interact with nature in their yards during the pandemic and to improve our connection with nature around our homes.

Chris is also a passionate and engaged teacher who seeks to instill in students not just the tools to understand and conserve nature, but the passion to care about it. He incorporates an independent field experience in the Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, and Management course that builds upon Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac in which students spend 1 hour/week in a natural area for 12 weeks and record their observations of nature, their feelings, and sense of wellbeing. This experience alone has been transformative for students and led to improved wellbeing and the appreciation and understanding of nature.