Education
M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University
B.S. Environmental Science and Policy, University of Maryland
As Re:wild’s Species Priorities and Metrics Coordinator, Kelsey is fiercely committed to turning data into meaningful and impactful conservation action. Guided by a deep passion for conserving the planet’s biodiversity, Kelsey is at the forefront of efforts to prioritize and measure the impact of Re:wild’s species conservation work.
With a love of nature since a young age, Kelsey’s professional journey in conservation took root through her involvement in the California Condor Recovery Program led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The experience of working with a species on the brink of extinction inspired Kelsey to complete her graduate degree in biodiversity conservation at Texas A&M University in 2015. Shortly thereafter she joined Team Re:wild and the rest is history.
Since 2015, Kelsey has served as Program Officer of the IUCN SSC Amphibian Red List Authority leading extinction risk assessments for the world’s 8,000+ amphibian species to inform conservation planning and action. Kelsey and her team, with the help of over 1,000 experts, completed the second Global Amphibian Assessment in 2022.
Kelsey lives in a mountain town just outside of Washington D.C. and enjoys spending time outdoors with her daughter, who is already a little nature lover herself.
Akçakaya, H.R., Neam, K., Hobin, L., Lötters, S., Martel, A. and Pasmans, F. (2023). Assessing the extinction risks of amphibians impacted by infectious diseases. Biological Conservation, 284, p.110205.
Oliver, P.M., Bower, D.S., McDonald, P.J., Kraus, F., Luedtke, J., Neam, K., Hobin, L., Chauvenet, A.L., Allison, A., Arida, E. & Clulow, S. (2022). Melanesia holds the world’s most diverse and intact insular amphibian fauna. Communications Biology, 5(1) 1–10.
García-Rodríguez, A., Basanta, M.D., García-Castillo, M.G., Zumbado-Ulate, H., Neam, K., Rovito, S., Searle, C.L. & Parra-Olea, G. (2022). Anticipating the potential impacts of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans on Neotropical salamander diversity. Biotropica, 54(1): 157–169.
Zumbado-Ulate, H., Neam, K., et al. (2022). Ecological correlates of extinction risk and persistence of direct-developing stream-dwelling frogs in Mesoamerica. Global Ecology and Conservation, 38: e02197.
Neam, K.D. & Lacher, Jr. T.E. (2018). Multi-scale effects of habitat structure and landscape context on a vertebrate with limited dispersal ability (the brown-throated sloth, Bradypus variegatus). Biotropica, 50(4): 684–693.
Neam, K.D. (2015). The odd couple: interactions between a sloth and a brown jay. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 13: 170–171.
Neam, K.D. & Lacher, Jr., T.E. (2015). Spatial distribution, resource use, and behavior of brown-throated sloths (Bradypus variegatus) in a multi-use landscape. Edentata, 16: 46–56