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Alexis Foster is a Ph.D. candidate studying under Dr. Cavaliere in the Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab. Alexis has received a scholarship to support her research with Dr. Cavaliere regarding the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources with an emphasis on Critical Tourism Impacts. She received a Bachelor's of Science in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability and a Master's in Conservation Leadership degree at Colorado State University. She identified her passion in Tourism Conservation work through her previous research in human-wildlife conflict and disease mitigation in Mount Blue Sky, Colorado. Her interests include integrating leadership and agency into local tourism management to support community conservation, engagement, and ecotourism. Alexis Foster's Linkedin account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisrfoster/
Travis Wilson is a PhD student and award-winning scholar exploring visual representation of the natural world in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University. He is working with Dr. Cavaliere in the Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab to explore the intersection of nature-based tourism and self-presentation, specifically, how the 14ers of Colorado are used as backdrops to promote the self favorably in online communities. His interests include how visual images influence human behavior, particularly in shaping relationships with nature and wild places. He began his career by earning a Bachelor of Arts in Film, Theatre and Photography from Montana State University and followed by working across the Rocky Mountain region telling multimedia stories through various outlets, including PBS, NPR, and NBC. Along the way, Travis earned master's degrees in communication and media studies from Gonzaga University, and the University of Oregon. Travis Wilson's Linkedin account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-wilson-08b90788/
Julia Branstrator (Graduated from Dr. Cavaliere's Research Lab in December '23) is a Ph.D. student studying under Dr. Cavaliere researching the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources with an emphasis on Tourism Impacts. She received a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University, and dual M.S. degrees in Sustainability, Technology and Innovation though an international partnership between Purdue University, Barcelona’s Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and the Dublin Institute of Technology. Inspired by her work in the national parks and love of natural spaces, her experience includes researching the barriers to adopting waterless waste technologies into the United States, cultural heritage tourism impacts, consumer image of tourism destinations after natural disasters, and facilitating sustainable operations within the human dimensions of tourism.
To become familiar with the graduate experience in the lab, view Julia Branstrator's presentation of her PhD experience in Dr. Cavaliere's Tourism and Conservation Lab at the 2022 Tourism Naturally Conference. Julia details her research process and experiences working with Dr. Cavaliere in both Ketchikan, Alaska and her PhD fieldwork in Nederland, Colorado. Watch Julia present her PhD experience in the following conference recording (19 minutes 11 seconds to 31 minutes - click here). This video offers the opportunity for future and potential students to understand more about the PhD journey with Dr. Cavaliere. To learn more about the Tourism and Conservation Lab's research in Ketchikan and Nederland,click here and scroll!
Branstrator 2022 Tourism Naturally PhD Experience In The Cavaliere Critical Conservation Lab
Julia Branstrator's Linkedin account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliabranstrator/
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Shelby Fitzgerald graduated from Colorado State University with her Master in Tourism Management (M.T.M.). She received her H.B.B.A in Business Management and Marketing from Idaho State University. She has assisted Dr. Cavaliere as a Gradate Teaching Assistant for the NRRT 470 Tourism Impacts course, and as a Research Assistant helping with tourism related communication strategies, webdesign and research collection. Through her studies and personal interests, she seeks out the connection between the natural environment, tourism sustainability, and the consciousness of human interactions within the external environment. Her interests include permaculture, agroforestry, ecotourism, and tourist behaviors.
Shelby Fitzgerald's Linkedin Account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-fitzgerald-779560129/
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Roy Van Anda is pursuing his M.S. in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. Prior, he completed his B.S. in Natural Resource Management with a focus in Conservation Biology and GIS at Colorado State University. He assisted Dr. Cavaliere as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the NRRT 442 Tourism Planning course. His thesis research focuses on livelihood diversification as an adaptation strategy practiced by Northern Kenyan Pastoral communities in response to socio-ecological change. Primarily focusing on the role of formal education in shifting local livelihoods, values, conservation, and natural resource use patterns. His interests and research focuses include conservation, international development, and community engagement.
Roy Van Anda's Linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roy-van-anda-b02b73133/