Dr Kim Babbitt UNH- EcoQuest Academic Programme Coordinator, Lecturer, UNH Representative on the EcoQuest Advisory Board
Kim is a wildlife biologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources at the University of New Hampshire, and an Affiliate Research Scientist at Archbold Biological Station in Lake Placid, Florida. She has a B.S in Wildlife Management from the University of New Hampshire; an M.S.in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida (1996).
Kim teaches undergraduate course in Conservation Biology, Vertebrate Biology, and Wildlife Techniques, and graduate course in various topics relating to wetland ecology and management, amphibian ecology, and research design. She received the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture Teaching Excellence Award in 2000.
Kim's area of expertise is behavioral and community ecology of amphibians. Her current research focus is impacts of landscape changes on amphibians and reptiles. She is addressing impacts of forest disturbances (anthropogenic and natural), urban and suburban development, and habitat changes associated with cattle ranching (in Florida).
Additional areas of research include examination of predator-prey interactions among aquatic organisms and the role of abiotic factors in mediating such interactions, inducible defenses in anuran larvae, and impacts of herbicides and pesticides on amphibian development and endocrine function. Although most of her research focuses on wetland systems, she is also conducting research on salamanders in stream systems. She has authored or co-authored over 30 peer reviewed articles and is co-editor and contributor to the soon to be published book "Status and Conservation of Florida Amphibians and Reptiles".
Kim is currently the UNH Program Coordinator of the UNH-EcoQuest Programme. At UNH, she represents the programme on the University Council on International Education, as well as serving as academic supervisor at UNH. Kim is a member of the Admissions Committee and routinely visits EcoQuest where she delivers guest lectures and participates in field exercises. Kim also provides programme evaluation.