Office Address
United States
Lab Address
United States
Kyle
Smith
Research scientist
Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
My research primarily employs quantitative and qualitative tools to understand the social and psychological factors influencing human-wildlife interactions. As a researcher with a background in social psychology and quantitative ecology, I purposefully seek to apply various statistical methods and theoretical frameworks from diverse research epistemologies to my studies.
Research statement
Successful wildlife-associated disease interventions require understanding the complex interactions between wildlife habitats and populations, the humans that use and value them, and the social, economic, and institutional contexts of governance. These efforts are often complicated by the numerous and often conflicting behaviors of interested members of the public, their heterogeneous responses to policy change, and the slow-evolving social conditions that underpin governance systems. Therefore, my research seeks to understand the social context of wildlife disease and how anthropogenic factors influence and interact with ecological ones to influence these dynamics.
Selected publications
Smith, K., Landon, A.C., Fulton, D.C., Schroeder, S.A. & McInenly, E. (2023). Application of the heuristic-systematic model to chronic wasting disease risk perceptions. Society & Natural Resources.
Smith, K. Landon, A.C., Fulton, D.C. (2023). A self-determination approach to understanding leisure identity salience among lapsed hunters in Minnesota. Leisure Sciences.
Smith, K., Faust, R., Landon. A.C. (2023) The Role of Behavior Accessibility and Individual Risk Perceptions in Chronic Wasting Disease Risk Mitigation Behaviors among Minnesota Deer Hunters. Human Dimensions of Wildlife
Smith, K., Landon. A.C., Fulton, D.C., Kyle, G. (2023, in review) Self-determination theory as an alternate conceptual foundation for motivation in natural resource recreation. Human Dimensions of Wildlife.
Smith, K., Boley, B.B., DeAngelo, G. (2023, in review). The Application of Self-Determination Theory to Enhance Wildlife Disease Risk Communication. Journal of Wildlife Disease.
Smith, K., Schroeder, S.A., Landon, A. C., Cornicelli, L., McInenly, L. E., & Fulton, D. C. (2021). A replication of proximity to chronic wasting disease, perceived risk, and social trust in managing agency between hunters in Minnesota and Illinois. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 26(5), 503-506.
Education and background
- PhD, Conservation Science, University of Minnesota 2022
- Msc., Quantitative Ecology, University of Glasgow, 2018
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Georgia