Gillian Bowser, PhD.

Associate Professor

Ecosystem Science and Sustainability


Fields of Expertise

Ecology, Education and Outreach, Science Communication

Areas of Interest

Sustainability, National parks and protected areas, Wild pollinators ecology and biodiversity change, International environmental negotiations, Diversity and inclusion in natural resources


Biography

Dr. Bowser is a native of Brooklyn, New York and started her career as an art major attending LaGuardia High School of the Arts where she earned a degree in fine arts with an interest in medical illustration. Her academic career was in biological science with an emphasis on wildlife and population genetics, however at the same time, she has had several art shows and one solo ceramic sculpture exhibition. The interdisciplinary nexus between art and science is always of interest to her which led to Dr. Bowser’s current research in collaborative teams. While much of her career was as an ecologist and wildlife biologist for the U.S. National Park Service with postings in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Joshua Tree and Wrangell St. Elias National Parks, she has always been interested in the application of her research in associated with human communities whether through environmental justice or ecosystem services. Now, Dr. Bowser works on ecological indicators of climate change with collaborative partners from many disciplines. Their most recent work is focused on ecological indicators in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks and Huascaran National Park, Peru. They use citizen science apps to generate data on pollinator shifts in the various parks and tie those shifts with local livelihoods. Dr. Bowser’s newest project expands that research with a Marie Curie Horizon 2020 grant from the European Union which features mountain systems from around the world working on livelihoods that are shifting in response to climate change. She is part of a team working on pollinators and biodiversity indicators in high elevations in the Alps, Andes, Rocky Mountains and other mountain ranges.