We are pleased to announce that the IUCN SSC has appointed a new Co-Chair for the SMSG to represent species across the Americas. Dr. Michelle Lawing takes up the role following several years of involvement with the group during which time she has been instrumental in building our Red List efforts for the Americas as part of the Texas A&M University partnership with the SSC. Hear from Michelle in her own words:
Dr. Michelle Lawing – new SMSG Co-Chair
“I’m very pleased to be joining the IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group as Co-Chair alongside Dr. Ros Kennerley. I’m an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology at Texas A&M University, where my research focuses on ecology, evolution, biogeography, and conservation, particularly how species and ecological communities respond to environmental change.
I became involved with SMSG through Dr. Tom Lacher’s work at Texas A&M with the IUCN Red List Partnership and our growing program of small-mammal assessments and reassessments in the Americas. At Texas A&M, we have been building opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers, to contribute directly to Red List assessments, including through an Extinction Risk Assessment course in which students learn Red List methodology while working on real assessments.
I’m especially looking forward to supporting SMSG’s work to keep assessments current, expand training and mentorship opportunities, and make it easier for members and regional experts to contribute their knowledge. I also serve on the IUCN Red List Management Committee and co-chair its Capacity-Building Working Group, so I’m particularly interested in how training, mentorship, and partnerships can help strengthen assessment capacity over the long term.
I’ve already learned a great deal from Ros, Tom, and the wider SMSG community, and I’m really looking forward to working with everyone during the new SSC quadrennium.
And on a more personal note, if I have to choose a favorite small mammal, I have a particular fondness for jumping mice because of their wonderfully specialized hindlimbs.”
To find out more about Michelle’s research, visit her ResearchGate page or check out her Texas A&M page.
Eastern Woodland Jumping Mouse (Napaeozapus insignis) credit Zac Cota https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/28250814
