Director
Dr. Rebecca (Becky) Niemiec (she/her) is the director of the CSU Animal Human Policy Center and an Assistant Professor in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department at Colorado State University. Dr. Niemiec has been working on animal-human issues as a social scientist and manager for over 10 years. She has served as the manager of the Bureau of Animal Protection for the state of Colorado, where she and her team developed and began implementing a 3 year strategic plan to address domestic animal mistreatment throughout the state. She has authored over 25 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has led stakeholder processes and conducted social science research focused on the human dimensions of urban biodiversity conservation, carnivore management, and invasive species management. Dr. Niemiec has a PhD in Environment and Resources from Stanford University and B.A. in Ecology and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.
Current and Previous Staff
Dr. Veronica Champine (she/her) was a research scientist for the CSU Animal Human Policy Center and Adjunct Professor in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department in 2023. Over the last five years, Veronica has collaborated with local governments, nonprofits, businesses, and extension agencies around Colorado to study individual and collective action to support urban biodiversity conservation. Dr. Champine has a PhD in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and Master's of Science in Conservation Leadership from Colorado State University and a B.A. in Psychology from University of California, Santa Barbara.
Faculty Affiliates
Dr. Kevin Crooks is a Professor in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at CSU. He received his B.S. in Zoology at CSU; his M.S. in Ecology at U.C. Davis; his Ph.D. in Biology at U.C. Santa Cruz, and completed postdoctoral research at U.C. San Diego. Before arriving at CSU in 2003, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Because of his passion for conservation, his research examines the impacts of human disturbances on wildlife and the natural systems in which they live. He is Director of the CSU Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence, an interdisciplinary team of faculty, students, and partners who mission is to integrate transformative research, education, and outreach to reduce conflict and facilitate coexistence between humans and carnivores.
Dr. Lori Kogan (she/her), Ph.D., is a Professor of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University. She is the Chair of the Human-Animal Interaction section of the American Psychological Association and Editor-in-Chief of the Human-Animal Interaction journal, an open-access, online publication published by CABI. She publishes and presents regularly on topics related to human animal interactions in both psychology and veterinary medicine venues.
Dr. Danielle Frey (she/her) is a veterinarian with a drive for community outreach and engagement. In her role at Colorado State University (CSU), she has created programs that create a bridge to access veterinary care for clients that experience various barriers to that care, including geographical, financial, and linguistic. Participating veterinary students are exposed to the theory and structures of providing this care and the role they play in the community as public health practitioners. Additionally her work includes development of a 9-credit Spanish for the Veterinary Professional Graduate Certificate Program. Through her work with the AHPC, she aims to increase access to veterinary care for animals and connection to community.
Dr. John Mola is an assistant professor in the department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship at Colorado State University. He is an applied ecologist, primarily with a focus on pollinating insects, especially bumble bees. In close collaboration with university, government, and non-profit partners, his research group works on topics in pollinator conservation, urban ecology, forest ecology, conservation genetics, and more. With AHPC, John serves as an entomological expert on projects related to pollinator conservation and policy.
