Travis Brenden

Education Background Research Publications Curriculum Vitae

BRENDEN_photo Associate Director, Associate Professor
Office Location: 101A UPLA Building
Phone: 517-355-0003
E-mail: brenden@msu.edu
Area of Expertise/Interest: Ecology and population dynamics of managed fish populations; biometry

Education

Ph.D. - Fisheries & Wildlife Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2005
M.S. - Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2001
M.S. - Fisheries & Wildlife Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 1999
B.S. - Biological Science (Minor: Criminal Justice), South Dakota State University, 1996

Background

I originally am from South Dakota and graduated with a BS degree in Biological Sciences from South Dakota State University. I then attended Virginia Tech and received MS and PhD degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences; I also received an MS degree in Statistics. Shortly before completing my PhD, I moved to Michigan and was employed as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Michigan.

I started my current position at Michigan State University in 2006. My assignment in the Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife is 30% research, 20% instruction, 15% extension/outreach, and 35% administration and leadership/service. I serve as Associate Director of the Quantitative Fisheries Center, a research, outreach, and education center housed within the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife that provides analytic and modeling assistance to fishery management agencies within the Great Lakes region. I develop, apply, and teach simulation modeling and advanced data analytic/computational techniques to address contemporary fishery management challenges.

Research

My recent research has focused on three primary themes: 1) the assessment and management of fisheries that exploit fish from multiple spawning populations (i.e., intermixed fisheries); 2) modeling/research to inform invasive species control efforts; and 3) modeling to combat pathogen outbreaks in fish populations. My research program is closely aligned with my outreach efforts and many of my research projects originated from outreach interactions with QFC supporting partner biologists.