My Story
Hi, my name is Robyn Dausener, and I am a MS student working on wild turkey gobbling activity in relation to breeding chronology and other events in western Nebraska, with Dr. Mark Vrtiska as my advisor.
I grew up in rural northeast Iowa, and have been surrounded by wildlife for as long as I can remember, having spent my childhood exploring my family’s property, and enjoying the many adventures the property gave me -and my dogs- along the way. I always knew I wanted to work with wildlife, but didn’t start my research career until I was at Upper Iowa University receiving my bachelor's degree. While there, I worked on a project evaluating fine scale habitat limitations of salamanders in northeast Iowa, and my love for wildlife research began. After graduating, I worked with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as a Multiple Species Inventory and Monitoring technician performing surveys on nongame species throughout the state. For the last 2 years, I was a part of the IDNR wild turkey project, first as a wildlife researcher and habitat management specialist, and then as the project’s field coordinator. These experiences increased my passion for wildlife research, and set me on my path to graduate school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
When I’m not working, you can find me hiking, reading, hunting/fishing, or watching soccer.