Jeff Beck
University of Wyoming scientist Jeff Beck has been named a lifetime Fellow by The
Wildlife Society (TWS), an international society of professionals involved in wildlife
research, management and conservation.
The award recognizes current TWS members who have been actively involved in the organization
for at least 10 years and have distinguished themselves through exceptional service
to the wildlife profession. A maximum of two Fellows per regional section may be appointed
annually; the annual total must not exceed 10.
Beck, a professor of wildlife habitat restoration ecology in the UW Department of
Ecosystem Science and Management, joined TWS in 1992 as an undergraduate. He has remained
an active member ever since.
Beck earned his TWS Wildlife Biologist certification in 2005 and has been involved
in the Rangeland Wildlife Working Group for nearly two decades. He has reviewed more
than 20 submissions to TWS journals and co-organized three symposiums for TWS annual
conferences.
Over the years, Beck has introduced many UW students to the organization, helping
them secure key opportunities for professional development and networking. Now, he
has joined the ranks of just a handful of UW scientists appointed TWS Fellows.
“It’s a total honor to get this (award) -- it’s an honor to be recognized for my lifetime
of involvement,” Beck says. “I’ve learned so many things from being a member. It’s
been another outlet for me to connect with people and learn more about wildlife in
general.”
Beck’s research focuses on wildlife in rangeland habitats, from the greater sage grouse
and sharp-tailed grouse to pronghorn and free-roaming horses. Much of his work evaluates
policies intended to conserve sensitive species. His award-winning research on sage
grouse ecology, for instance, has influenced both state and federal conservation efforts.
Beck also investigates the effects of human activity, such oil and gas development,
wind energy infrastructure, mining, vegetation treatments and hunting, on Wyoming
wildlife. Recently, he has expanded his work to examine how species that include free-roaming
horses affect native wildlife.
“I love what I do,” he says. “I’m so glad I’m in this (field). And I genuinely appreciate
the people that I work with in The Wildlife Society.”
Beck has published 135 peer-refereed publications, 34 of which appeared in TWS journals.
In 2023, Beck co-edited a 30-chapter book titled “Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.”
To date, this research publication has been accessed more than 300,000 times.
In 2024, his lab received the TWS Best Monograph Award for a paper on the long-term
effects of sagebrush reduction strategies on sage grouse.
In addition to running a robust research program, Beck teaches undergraduate and graduate
courses on rangeland and wildlife topics and has mentored dozens of students. To date,
he has served as a primary adviser or co-adviser for 20 UW graduate students.
“From what I have seen over the years, Dr. Beck is strongly driven by a desire to
contribute -- to his professional fields, to wildlife management policy, the university,
college and department, and to graduate and undergraduate students,” says Tim Collier,
head of the UW Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. “The graduate students
and postdocs Dr. Beck has mentored have gone on to great success.”
Beck was formally recognized as a TWS Fellow at the organization’s annual conference
in Edmonton, Alberta, last week.
“It’s really been a great (organization) to belong to,” he says. “I highly recommend
it.”
To learn more about TWS, visit https://wildlife.org. To learn more about Beck’s research, email him at jlbeck@uwyo.edu or call (307) 766-6683.
