Joseph Bump

Joseph Bump is a Professor holding the Gordon W. Gullion Endowed Chair in Forest Wildlife Research & Education at the University of Minnesota, where he serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the Conservation Sciences Graduate Program. His interdisciplinary work bridges animal ecology and ecosystem science to address critical conservation challenges through empirical field research and theoretical synthesis.

His academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. from Michigan Technological University
• M.S. from the University of Wyoming
• B.S. from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Professor Bump's research centers on predator-prey dynamics, carrion ecology, and aquatic-terrestrial nutrient flows, with emphasis on how large mammals engineer ecosystems. His work integrates stable isotope analysis, wildlife film, and environmental history to examine climate impacts on carnivore systems and ungulate-mediated nutrient cycling. He prioritizes translating fundamental ecological insights into practical conservation applications while exploring connections between science and humanities through ecopoetics.

Recent publications reveal consistent focus on ecosystem engineering by predators and herbivores, with geographic scope spanning Arctic tundra, African savannas, and North American forests. His collaborative studies frequently investigate carrion decomposition effects on soil chemistry, spatial patterns of human-wildlife conflict, and climate-driven shifts in predator behavior, demonstrating methodological diversity from molecular analysis to landscape-scale modeling.

Research funding has been secured from major federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, NASA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service, supplemented by state programs from Michigan DNR and Minnesota Environmental and Natural Resource Trust Fund, plus non-governmental support from National Geographic Society and Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.

As an educator, he directs graduate studies while teaching Principles of Wildlife Management (FW4103) and Conservation Biology (FW 8452), with recent instruction in Stable Isotope Ecology and Field Mammalogy. His commitment to science communication extends beyond traditional academia through wildlife filmmaking and literary science writing.