Katherine C.B. Weiss

Dr. Katherine C.B. Weiss serves as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science within the School of Science at Marist University. Her expertise centers on urban wildlife ecology and conservation science, investigating how urbanization reshapes mammal communities, species interactions, and pathways toward sustainable human-wildlife coexistence in cities.

Education:

• PhD in Environmental Life Sciences, Arizona State University
• BS in Environmental Science and Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology), University of Maryland, College Park

Dr. Weiss employs an integrated approach combining social-ecological frameworks, theoretical models, and trait-based methodologies to address urban wildlife challenges. Her research spans evolutionary ecology of urban mammals, wildlife management through co-creation and adaptive strategies, ecophysiology including nutritional physiology and OneHealth perspectives, and endangered species recovery planning. Field techniques in her work include camera trapping networks, dietary and scat analyses, and occupancy modeling to quantify mammalian responses to urban landscapes.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2017-2024) reveals consistent focus on trait-based ecology and urban mammal community dynamics. She has made significant contributions to national initiatives like SNAPSHOT USA—conducting coordinated camera trap surveys across the United States—and developed decision-support frameworks for endangered species conservation under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, with findings published in high-impact journals including Nature Ecology & Evolution and Science.

Dr. Weiss is an active collaborator in the SNAPSHOT USA consortium, which leverages standardized camera trapping and community science to monitor wildlife responses to anthropogenic changes. Her work in this project has provided critical insights into mammal community shifts during the unprecedented human activity reductions of the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating how landscape-scale monitoring informs urban conservation planning.

Contact Dr. Weiss at kate.weiss@marist.edu or visit her professional website: https://katherinecbweiss.weebly.com/.