Rachael E. Urbanek

Dr. Rachael Urbanek completed her Ph.D. in 2012 and worked as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Fish and Wildlife Program at Arkansas Tech University from 2012-2015 when she then came to the Department of Environmental Sciences at UNCW. She is currently a Certified Wildlife Biologist®, Full Professor, and Chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences. Dr. Urbanek & her students research effective wildlife population monitoring field techniques, predator behavior around endangered species, and human-wildlife interactions to inform wildlife management by state, federal, and non-governmental agencies throughout North Carolina. She has 34 peer-reviewed publications, 81 presentations at professional conferences, and has received 34 grants. Dr. Urbanek has had the pleasure of supervising 24 graduate students, serve as Chair or a Member on 17 Honors Theses Committees, and supervised 40 other undergraduates in research.

Education

Ph.D. in Zoology, Cooperative Wildlife Research Lab, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
B.S. in Wildlife Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Minor in Forestry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Specialization in Teaching

I enjoy working with and engaging undergraduate and graduate students in wildlife research. All students I have mentored in the past were ambitious and hard-working; 2 qualities I would continue to look for when deciding to mentor future students. I believe students learn how to conduct research best when they have a feeling of independence, and thus responsibility and ownership of their project. As a mentor, I guide them in the right direction by providing literature and discussing concepts for them to explore in their research. Then, I allow students to conduct research in a quasi-trial and error routine. In this fashion, students learn from their mistakes and learn that research is not a quick and easy practice which will hopefully provide them insight into their future career goals. I am always looking for talented, independent, and motivated students to participate in my research. I push students to succeed by challenging their abilities, exploring new ideas, pursuing publication, and being a leader in this field.

Please feel free to contact me if your interests align with my current or past research and are ready to challenge yourself. Dependent upon on funding and other logistics, I may have a project waiting to be tackled! Previous students of mine have gone on to graduate schools or begun successful careers in the field of natural resources.

Research Interests

My background consists of a strong education in wildlife ecology accompanied by a diverse amount of research and teaching experiences. Over the course of my short career, I have had the pleasure to conduct research on a wide variety of animals: timber rattlesnakes, ruffed grouse, white-tailed-deer, raccoons, eastern cottontails, swamp rabbits, Blanding’s turtles, and feral cats. This collection of animals reflects my broad interests in all things ecology; however nothing has exited me more than urban wildlife ecology.

Human populations are growing exponentially and urban sprawl is creating massive metropolitan areas that are interspersed with green habitats. As this is happening, wildlife species are becoming synurbized and adapting to a more anthropogenic environment through changes in behavior and population dynamics. I embrace the thought of researching wildlife and humans in urban settings with great enthusiasm. In urban environments, there are new obstacles such as conserving endangered species in a predominantly harsh anthropogenic landscape, maintaining sustainable populations of all biota in limited green space, and managing human-wildlife conflicts that are at an intensity level never experienced in history. In addition, this is my and other urban wildlife ecologists’ chance to educate the public in why we need to conserve wildlife and native landscapes. Through my work, I hope to increase future support of wildlife and conservation efforts by increasing stakeholder involvement in wildlife management and providing novel educational experiences for urban children and adults.

Professional Service

The Wildlife Society
• President-Elect (2024-25), President (2025-26), Past-President (2027-28), SE Section
• Heritage Committee Member, NC Chapter (2023 – present)
• Mentoring and Professional Development Committee Member, NC Chapter (2018 - present)
• Chair of the Conservation Affairs Network Committee of NC Chapter (2016 – 2024)
• Audit Committee Member (2022), Chair (2023) SE Section
• President-Elect (2019), President (2020), Past-President (2021), NC Chapter
• Travel Grant Review Committee (2016)
• Ambassador for the 2016 TWS annual conference in NC (2015)
• Subcommittee to review and rank proposals for TWS annual conference (2014)
• Faculty Advisory for Arkansas Tech University Student Chapter (2014 – 2015)
• Secretary/Treasurer of Arkansas Chapter (2013 – 2015)
• Increasing Agency Membership Committee (2013 – 2015)
• Leadership Institute: Alumni Mentor (2014); Participant (2013)

University of North Carolina Wilmington
• Department Chair (2022 – present)
• Faculty Advisor of The Seahawk Wildlife Society (2017-present)
• Assistant Department Chair (2019 – 2022)
• EVS Applied Learning Service Coordinator (2016 – 2022)
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (2018 – 2022)
• Interdisciplinary Studies Advisory Committee (2018 - 2021)

Community Engagement

• Feral, Stray, and Free-Roaming Cats: Ecological, Social, and Economic Perspectives. OLLI SEA, UNCW (2024).
• Be Coyote Wise. Invited Public Outreach Speaker for the City of Wilmington. (2023)
• Forest wildlife habitat and corridors. ForestHer. (2022).
• Wildlife Management and Conservation in a Human-Dominated Landscape. OLLI Academic Session, UNCW. 4 sessions. (2021).
• Getting to know coyotes Webinar for the North Carolina Wildlife Federation – Island Beach Chapter (2021).
• Coyotes in New Hanover County. Sea and Coffee Session. OLLI, UNCW (2020)
• Southeast Regional Science & Engineering Fair Judge, UNCW (2019, 2023)
• Ev-Henwood Cleanup Day (2019)
• Urban Wildlife Talk, Hobby Greenhouse Club, New Hanover County, NC (2018)
• Who’s in my backyard and how did they get here? Sea and Coffee Session. OLLI, UNCW (2018)
• UNCW College Day (2017, 2019)
• Fish and Wildlife Outreach, Pottsville Junior High School, AR (2013)
• Science Fair Judge, Russellville High School, AR (2013, 2014)
• Stewardship Week Resource Volunteer, Illinois Forest Resource Center, Simpson, IL (2011, 2012)
• Urban Deer Advisement for Duluth, MN (2011)
• Sustainable Living Expo Volunteer, Illinois Forest Resource Center, Simpson, IL (2011)
• Urban Deer Advisement for Fair Oaks Ranch, TX (2011)
• Middlefork Savanna Bioblitz, Taxonomist and Children’s Education Volunteer, Lake County, IL (2008)
• 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Project Judge, Centre County, PA (2004, 2005)

Honors & Awards

2022 Rising Research Excellence Award, UNCW. $2,500
2021 Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award, UNCW. $500
2021 The Wildlife Society Fellowship (Lifetime Appointment)
2020 Wildlife “Hero”n Award, NC Chapter of The Wildlife Society.
2018 Wildlife “Hero”n Award, NC Chapter of The Wildlife Society.
2017 Innovation in Teaching Award. Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. $3,000.
2013 Richard and Donna Falvo Outstanding Dissertation Award (Best Dissertation at the university 2012-13), $1,000, Graduate School, SIUC, IL.
2012 Richard R. Kudo Memorial Award (Best Thesis/Dissertation in Zoology Department for 2012-13), $200, Zoology Department, SIUC, IL.
2012 Director’s Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award, $500, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, SIUC, IL.
2012 University Women’s Professional Advancement Travel Award $100, SIUC, IL.
2012 Student Travel Award $500, 25th Vertebrate Pest Conference, Monterey, CA.
2012 Graduate Dissertation Research Assistantship Award $5,900, College of Science, SIUC, IL.
2011 TWS North Central Section Outstanding Wildlife Student Award $500, 72nd MWFWC, Des Moines, IA (1st recipient ever to win this award).
2011 Janice Lee Fenske Memorial Award for Outstanding Students Finalist, 72nd MWFWC, Des Moines, IA.
2010 Illinois Federation for Outdoor Resources Graduate Scholarship $500, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, SIUC, IL.
2010 Janice Lee Fenske Memorial Award for Outstanding Students Finalist, 71st MWFWC, Minneapolis, MN.
2010 TWS Annual Photo Contest $40, Best in Show, 1st place, 17th Annual Conference, Snowbird, UT.