John Cavitt

Background

About John Cavitt

I am a conservation biologist with 25 years experience in avian ecology, focused on population dynamics, migration ecology, and habitat use in arid and saline ecosystems. Much of my research centers on Great Salt Lake and the shrublands of the Intermountain West. I direct long-term monitoring and conservation efforts on shorebirds, waterbirds, and migratory landbirds. As Director of the Avian Ecology Lab, I lead research that informs conservation planning, environmental compliance, and habitat restoration across multiple scales. My applied science bridges academic and regulatory worlds. I consult for NGOs, state and federal agencies, and private industry on wetland condition assessments, contaminant exposure to wildlife, biological monitoring at CERCLA sites, and post-restoration evaluations. My research was instrumental in development of Utah’s first tissue-based water quality standard, and I continue to lead field-based studies that link bird populations to landscape change in both managed and degraded habitats. My approach emphasizes building collaborative partnerships, across disciplines, agencies, and communities to translate science into conservation outcomes. I have built collaborations, secured externally funded research, provided technical advisory roles, and recognized for my conservation efforts. I’ve served on interagency science panels, including the Governor’s Great Salt Lake Advisory Council, and served as coordinator for a conservation organization that received the North American Bird Conservation Award. In parallel with my research and consulting work, I bring over 20 years of experience in academic leadership. As the founding Director for the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), I built the university’s research office from the ground up. I secured the funding infrastructure for supporting student-faculty research, launched a global research program for students, and designed a four-year Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. These efforts helped position WSU as a national leader by hosting the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. The conference generated a surplus that now helps fund student researchers. As Director, it sharpened my skills in stakeholder engagement, cross-sector partnership development, and donor cultivation. These skills I now apply directly to conservation strategy and field-based program development. My mission is to conduct science that matters, science that supports conservation action, informs environmental decision-making, and strengthens connections between people, data, and ecosystems.