Biography

Paul grew up in rural Virginia before making Colorado his home in 1995. He proudly earned his BS in Natural Resource Management (1999), MSc in Forest Management (2004), and PhD in Ecosystem Management (2009) at Colorado State University. In 1999, Paul began his career working with Tom Stohlgren at the NREL leading vegetation inventories in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. That same year, he spent three months in Ethiopia – a trip that would profoundly shape his understanding of ecological processes, the importance of biodiversity and the roles that people have in these systems. He has since continued working in Ethiopia and throughout the Horn of Africa conducting research on rare and endangered wildlife, montane forests and vegetation, and changes in land-use and land-cover. Paul has also been actively involved with a variety of grass-roots projects aimed at improving education, gender equality, livelihoods, and conservation of Ethiopia’s natural resources through The Murulle Foundation, a non-profit organization he co-founded in 2000. Today, he continues to pursue a wide range of research interests. In recent years, Paul has focused much of his efforts on the Rocky Mountain West – particularly working with ranchers and private landowners who are important stewards of our grasslands, forests, watersheds and wildlife. He is supported by a highly distinguished team of Research Associates, graduate students, post-docs, and DEVELOPers who share a common commitment in protecting the ecosystems and processes that sustain life on our planet.