Clinton Wakefield Epps
Postdoctoral Researcher
137 Mulford Hall #3114
buzzard@nature.berkeley.edu
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
510-643-3918
EDUCATION
University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D. Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Dec. 2004
Rice University, B.A. Biology, Summa cum Laude, May 1997
HONORS/AWARDS/FELLOWSHIPS
2006 National Science Foundation International Research Fellowship (2 years)
2005 The Society for Conservation Biology Student Presentation Award (1st place, 19th annual meeting)
2003 The Walter and Ruth Schubert Prize in Ecosystem Science (to outstanding ESPM graduate student)
2000 Sigma Xi, University of California, Berkeley
1998 The Berkeley Fellowship for Graduate Study (a competitive fellowship for 3 years of support)
1998 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (3 years)
1997 Phi Beta Kappa, Rice University
1997 Arthur B. Cohn Memorial Fellowship
1997 Hope and Byron Meredith Merit Scholarship
1996 Mary Gibbs Jones Junior Scholar Award
PUBLICATIONS
(MOST ARE AVAILABLE AT HTTP://CNR.BERKELEY.EDU/BRASHARESLAB/CLINTON_EPPS.HTML)
Epps, C. W., P. J. Palsbøll, J. D. Wehausen, G. K. Roderick, and D. R. McCullough. Published online early.
Elevation and connectivity define genetic refugia for mountain sheep as climate warms. Molecular
Ecology (fast track) www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.03103.x
1Epps, C. W., P. J. Palsbøll, J. D. Wehausen, G. K. Roderick, R. R. Ramey II, and D. R. McCullough.
2005. Highways block gene flow and cause a rapid decline in genetic diversity of desert bighorn
sheep. Ecology Letters 8:1029-1038.
2Epps, C. W., D. R. McCullough, J. D. Wehausen, V. C. Bleich, and J. R. Rechel. 2004. Effects of climate
change on population persistence of desert-dwelling mountain sheep in California. Conservation
Biology 18:102-113.
Wehausen, J. D., R. R. Ramey II, and C. W. Epps. 2004. Experiments in DNA extraction and PCR
amplification from bighorn sheep feces: the importance of DNA extraction method. Journal of
Heredity 95:503-509.
Ramey II, R. R., H.-P. Liu, C. W. Epps, J. D. Wehausen, and L. M. Carpenter. 2005. Genetic relatedness of
the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) to nearby subspecies of Z. hudsonius as
inferred from variation in cranial morphology, mitochondrial DNA, and microsatellite data:
implications for taxonomy and conservation. Animal Conservation 8:329-346.
Epps, C. W., J. D. Wehausen, V. C. Bleich, and S. G. Torres. 2005. Status of bighorn sheep in California.
Desert Bighorn Council Transactions 47(2003):20-35.
Epps, C. W., J. D. Wehausen, P. J. Palsbøll, and D. R. McCullough. 2005. Using genetic methods to
describe and infer recent colonizations by desert bighorn sheep. Pp. 51-62 in Goerrissen, J., and J.
M. Andre, editors. Symposium Proceedings for the Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert
Research Center 1978-2003; A Quarter Century of Research and Teaching.
Ramey, R. R. II, J. D. Wehausen, H.-P. Liu, C. W. Epps, L. M. Carpenter. 2006. Should hypothesis
testing or selective posthoc interpretation of results guide the allocation of conservation effort?
Animal Conservation 9:244-247.
1Featured
in Conservation Biology in Practice 7(1):10-11; American Museum of Natural History 11-21-05 Science
Bulletin “Highways block bighorn sheep” at http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/bio/s/bighorn.20051121/
2Featured in “Climate warming shakes up species”, BioScience 54(8): 722-729; “Mystery of the missing megafauna”, Berkeley
Science Review 5(2):30-40.
MANUSCRIPTS SUBMITTED OR IN PREPARATION
(COPIES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST)
Epps, C. W., J. D. Wehausen, and D. R. McCullough. In revision. Climate variation, diet quality, and
population extinction of desert bighorn sheep. Journal of Applied Ecology.
Epps, C. W., J. D. Wehausen, V. C. Bleich, S. G. Torres, and J. S. Brashares. In review. Optimizing dispersal
and corridor models using landscape genetics. Journal of Applied Ecology.
Brashares, J. S., and C. W. Epps. In prep. Holes in the umbrella? A test of focal-species approaches using
mammal time-series from Ghana. To be submitted to Conservation Biology.
RESEARCH GRANTS
2007 National Science Foundation International Research Fellowship: $131,596
2006 California Dept. of Fish and Game, Resources Assessment Program: $49,977
2004 Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Travel Fellowship: $400
2003 Safari Club International: $5000
2003 Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Travel Fellowship: $1220
2002 Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Travel Fellowship: $900
2001 Safari Club International: $5000
2000 Safari Club International: $3500
2000 Berkeley Chapter of Sigma Xi, Grant-in-Aid-for-Research: $200
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
National Science Foundation International Research Fellow, Sokoine University of Agriculture
(Tanzania)/University of California, Aug 2006-present (with Profs. B. Mutayoba and J. Brashares)
Postdoctoral Researcher, Dept. of ESPM, UC Berkeley, June 2005- present (with Dr. Justin Brashares)
Graduate Student Researcher, Dept. of ESPM, UC Berkeley, September 2003-December 2004
Researcher, California Dept. of Fish and Game, September 2001-May 2005
Member of Graduate Programs/Graduate Admissions Committee, Dept. of ESPM, spring 2004
Member of Faculty Search Committee, Dept. of ESPM-Wildlife, spring 2003
Biologist for Projeto Karib, Pará, Brazil, May-October 1997
Field assistant, U.S. Forest Service, Elkins, West Virginia, May-August 1996
CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS (SELECTED)
Epps, C. W., P. J. Palsbøll, J. D. Wehausen, G. K. Roderick, and D. R. McCullough. 2006. Elevation and
connectivity define genetic refugia for mountain sheep as climate warms. 20th Annual Meeting of
the Society for Conservation Biology, San Jose, USA.
Epps, C. W., P. J. Palsbøll, J. D. Wehausen, G. K. Roderick, R. R. Ramey II, and D. R. McCullough. 2005.
Major highways block gene flow and decrease genetic diversity of desert bighorn sheep. 19th
Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, Brasilia, Brazil.
Epps, C. W., J. D. Wehausen, P. J. Palsbøll, and D. R. McCullough. 2005. Using genetic analyses to
describe and infer recent colonizations by desert bighorn sheep. 48th Meeting of the Desert
Bighorn Council, Alpine, Texas.
Epps, C. W., J. D. Wehausen, and D. R. McCullough. 2005. Linking climate change and population
extinction: how precipitation, elevation, and temperature affect diet quality of desert bighorn
sheep. Annual Conference of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society, Sacramento, California.
Epps, C. W., D. R. McCullough, J. D. Wehausen, V. C. Bleich, and J. R. Rechel. 2003. Effects of climate
change on population persistence of desert-dwelling mountain sheep in California. 17th Annual
Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, Duluth, Minnesota.
Epps, C. W. 2002. Using fecal DNA to examine dispersal and gene flow between populations of desert
bighorn sheep. 16th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, Canterbury, England.
Epps, C. W., D. R. McCullough, J. D. Wehausen, V. C. Bleich, and J. R. Rechel. 2000. Climate change and
the desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis nelsoni. Annual Conference of the Western Section of the
Wildlife Society, Riverside, California.
INVITED TALKS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS (SELECTED)
Reconciling Conservation Planning and Transportation Planning on a Regional Scale. North American
Section of Society for Conservation Biology/ICOET Joint Symposium, May 25-27, 2007
(upcoming).
Genetics and Management Symposium, Northern Wild Sheep and Goat Conference, Kananaskis, Alberta,
Canada, April 2006.
Golden Gate Chapter Meeting of Safari Club International, November 2002 and April 2004.
UC San Diego White Mountain Research Station “Super-Course” on Conservation Biology, August 2000.
TEACHING
Guest lecturer in Mammalogy, Population Viability Analysis, Wildlife Ecology, at UC Berkeley, 2001-2006
Graduate Student Instructor, Conservation Biology, UC Berkeley, January-May 2000
Teaching Assistant, Introductory Ecology Lab, Rice University, 5 semesters 1995-1997
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND SERVICE
Member:
Society for Conservation Biology
Sigma Xi
Phi Beta Kappa
The Wildlife Society
Desert Bighorn Council
Berkeley Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology (Treasurer 1999-2000)
Manuscript Reviewer:
Nature, Ecology Letters, California Fish and Game, Journal of Wildlife Management, Conservation Genetics, Journal of
Applied Ecology, Molecular Ecology
RESEARCH PROJECTS
“Past and present connectivity of wildlife populations in Tanzania, East Africa”: postdoctoral research as a
National Science Foundation International Research Fellow with Dr. Justin Brashares of University of
California and Prof. Benezeth Mutayoba of Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania; examining
connectivity of ungulate populations using genetic and transect survey methods. July 2006 – present.
“Determining critical linkages for desert bighorn sheep populations”: postdoctoral research at University
of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with California Dept. of Fish and Game, using genetic data to
develop models of bighorn sheep dispersal and connectivity with management application. May 2005 –
present.
“Management of an introduced population of desert bighorn sheep on Isla el Carmen, Baja Sur, Mexico”:
census and management of a population of desert bighorn sheep serving as reintroduction stock for Baja
Sur, with Dr. Rob Roy Ramey II, Dr. John D. Wehausen, and the biologists of “Ovis”.
“Population processes in a changing climate: extinction, dispersal, and metapopulation dynamics of desert
bighorn sheep in California.” Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, with Dr. Dale R.
McCullough, Dr. Per Palsboll, Dr. George Roderick, and Dr. James Patton. Aug. 1998 – Dec. 2004
“Ornithological names in the Kaxuiana, Wayana, Tirio, and Apalai languages.” Parque de Tumucamaque,
Para, Brazil, with Dr. S. Gildea of Projeto Karib, Rice University. May 1997 – Oct. 1997
“Evaluation of black bear Ursus americanus habitat in the Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas.”
Undergraduate Honors Thesis, Rice University, with Dr. Paul Harcombe. Sept. 1996 – May 1997
“Effects of parasites on secondary sex characters of the great-tailed grackle Quiscalus mexicanus.”
Independent research with Dr. Kris Johnson, Rice University. Sept. 1995 – Dec. 1995