Kristen Lear, PhD
Bat Conservationist & Science Communicator
National Geographic Explorer
AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador
As a bat conservationist, I seek to develop practical, equitable, and meaningful solutions to bat conservation challenges through collaborative research, partnership with local communities, and public engagement and outreach.
In 2020, I completed my PhD in Integrative Conservation at the University of Georgia focusing on the conservation of endangered pollinating bats in northeast Mexico. Check out a project newsletter here. I'm now Bat Conservation International's Agave Restoration Program Director leading the organization's bi-national Agave Restoration Initiative to restore and enhance habitat for endangered pollinating bats and support community livelihoods in the US Southwest and Mexico.
I am also passionate about science communication and empowering the next generation of scientists, and am thrilled to be an IF/THEN Ambassador supporting women and girls in STEM/STEAM. I welcome opportunities for presentations and speaking engagements, as well as opportunities to share my experiences as a woman in science and discuss science careers, so feel free to contact me and check out my IF/THEN profile!
NEW! Check out my shop on Redbubble for some unique bat clothes and other swag, designed with images from my bat research from around the world! All proceeds support my bat outreach activities.
With many thanks to all the organizations that have supported my work:
Bat Conservation International
Bat Conservation Trust
Disney Conservation Fund
Explorers Club
Fulbright Student Program
Garden Club of America
Idea Wild
Mortar Board
National Geographic
National Science Foundation
Ohio Wesleyan University
P.E.O. International
Rufford Foundation
UGA Graduate School
UGA Latin American & Caribbean Studies Institute
UGA Office of Sustainability