Richard Minnis, PhD

Rich is Manager of Applied Landscape Conservation and Policy at the Division of Training at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV.  He oversees training within the curriculum line of Human Dimensions, Conservation Policy, Refuge Land Policy, Decision Analysis, and Ecological Adaptation. 

Before coming to Fish and Wildlife Service in 2010, Rich spent 4 years at USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in the DC Headquarters. Twelve years prior to that, he was a Professor of wildlife disease ecology in the Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture and Pathobiology and Population Medicine Departments at Mississippi State University. 

Rich has worked at the human/wildlife/livestock interface for most of his career, dealing with partnership relations at local, regional, and governmental levels. Rich has conducted research on a variety of taxa on four continents, including waterfowl in South America, mountain gorillas in Africa, tree squirrels in Malaysia, and numerous native and invasive species in North America.

Rich received his B.S. and M.S. from Michigan State University and PhD from Mississippi State University. He has taught courses all around the globe related to wildlife ecology, health, and management in human dominated ecosystems.