Madi grew up in central Pennsylvania, where she developed a love for the outdoors while cutting firewood, fishing and hunting with her dad. At the start of her college career, she studied fine art and engineering, but while questioning her career path she came across a job titled, “bear biologist.” This discovery changed her plans, and the following semester she transferred to the University of Montana to pursue a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, hoping one day to study bears. During and after her undergraduate program, she worked on a black bear research project in western Montana. Madi is grateful to be continuing the journey that once seemed like a pipe dream, and although bears sparked her interest in wildlife research, she is excited to broaden her focus within the field of ecology.

American black bears (Ursus americanus) were historically considered extirpated from West Texas as a result of habitat loss, intensive carnivore control and unregulated harvest. In recent decades, bears have begun to naturally recolonize the region, creating opportunities to investigate their population dynamics, behavior and ecology. Madi’s project will examen the role of spatial memory in driving bear movement patterns, seasonal behavior and space use using GPS collar data. Quantifying these patterns has the potential to inform management strategies and mitigate human-bear conflict. As black bears continue to expand into human-dominated areas, understanding how individuals navigate and utilize available habitat will be critical for promoting long-term coexistence and successful management.