Wildlife Conservation
Many of our researchers are a part of the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health, which strives to sustain a healthier world by developing and implementing proactive, science-based solutions to challenges at the interface of wildlife health, domestic animal health, human health and livelihoods, and the environment that supports us all. With an emphasis on the types of interdisciplinary collaboration often required to foster real progress along the science to policy and action continuum, we work with a diverse range of stakeholders including governments, local communities, nongovernmental organizations, and students in the U.S. and around the world to promote environmental stewardship, build capacity for sustainable change through training and education, and undertake collaborative research and discovery that leads to real-world conservation and related health outcomes. Humanity has brought changes to Earth’s natural systems at a pace and scale that are difficult to overstate – our domination of land and sea has no precedent. If we are to successfully address the challenges of conserving wildlife on an increasingly human dominated planet, with species extinctions now one thousand times faster than before our rise, we must recognize that our own health, and that of the global economy, are inextricably linked to our stewardship of the natural world. We are thus committed to training the next generation of wildlife conservation and One Health leaders with an emphasis on applying sound science to influence real world policy and practice, from local to global.
At this time, we are able to offer two five-year Cornell K. Lisa Yang Wildlife Health Graduate Fellowships which will fully support PhD or DVM-seeking-PhD students within the BBS program. We anticipate that the applicant pool will be highly competitive.
While preparing an application, any prospective student interested in being considered for the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Wildlife Health Graduate Fellows Program is strongly encouraged to contact one or more faculty members whom they envision as potential PhD faculty mentors.
In addition, the applicant should specifically explain their interest in wildlife health / One Health in the application prompt for the Zoology & Wildlife Conservation Concentration. Fellows will be part of the Center’s vibrant, collaborative, multidisciplinary, and inclusive community of faculty, staff, and students working towards improving the health and well-being of animals, people, and the environment that supports us all.
Several Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine faculty participate in the Joint Graduate Training Program (JGTP) with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). Please note: successful JGTP applicants are only admitted after a PI from SCBI and Cornell have signed a funding agreement to support the applicant for 5 years. Any prospective student interested in the JGTP must have made contact or have spent time working with a SCBI scientist. The applicant should address their SCBI connection and interest in the JGTP in their personal statement.
A student enrolled in the joint graduate training program has two research mentors, a Cornell Faculty member as your major advisor (Chair) and a scientific staff member from the SCBI to serve as your co-mentor. Utilizing expertise from both institutions, you would be working collaboratively and would be expected to study on site at both locations (Cornell in Ithaca, NY and SCBI in Front Royal, VA). During your first year you will have three lab rotations, including one at the SCBI. This SCBI rotation could occur in the summer prior to or after your first academic year. Please note: applicants to the Joint Graduate Training Program (JGTP) with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) are not eligible for the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health Graduate Fellowship.