Leslie Bliss-Ketchum has most recently taught Urban Ecology and Field Methods courses with the ESM department. In addition she leads a variety of environmental science and wildlife projects in her role as Director of Samara Group LLC. She is a wildlife ecologist who has been actively monitoring and researching the impacts of the built environment on habitat connectivity for all taxa of wildlife, as well as assessing mitigation efforts and developing connectivity assessments.
These efforts have focused on how we can maintain habitat connectivity across the built environment so animals can meet their migratory, daily movement, and range shift needs. Leslie currently serves on the Regional Habitat Connectivity Working Group as a steering committee member. Additionally, she is an executive board member for the Urban Wildlife Working Group of The Wildlife Society, and Past-President of the Oregon Chapter of The Wildlife Society.