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National Wildlife Research Center NWRC) |
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Dr. William C. Pitt, |
Dr. William C. Pitt is the field station and project leader for the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) Hilo, HI, Field Station. His research focuses on wildlife populations, population modeling, and animal behavior of a variety of animals including rodents, snakes, lizards, amphibians, birds and mammalian predators. He completed an MS degree at Utah State University investigating the foraging behavior of piscivorous birds. His Ph.D. in wildlife ecology is from Utah State University where he studied population dynamics and foraging behaviors of grassland predators at Cedar Creek LTER site in Minnesota. After a postdoctoral appointment developing coyote population models at the NWRC’s Logan, UT, field station, he moved to NWRC’s Hilo, HI, field station in 2002.
Dr. Pitt directs a diverse research program on invasive species throughout the Pacific Basin. He combines expertise on wildlife populations and behavior to reduce the effects of invasive terrestrial vertebrates (including rodents, mongoose, brown treesnakes, and tree frogs) on natural resources, economics, and human health and safety. Recently, he has directed projects on the environmental effects of rodenticides on island ecosystems in Palmyra Atoll, developed pesticides to reduce environmental risk in Guam and Hawaii, assessed the potential wildlife and human health effects from anticoagulant rodenticide use, developed methods to reduce the use of rodenticides for conservation of endangered species in Palau and Hawaii, and assessed the effects of invasive species across Micronesia. In addition to his appointment at NWRC, Dr. Pitt serves as an adjunct/affiliate faculty member at University of Hawaii and Utah State University.
Expertise Keywords
Invasive species, modeling, population biology, behavior, nontarget evaluation, NEPA consultation
Taxonomic Groups of Interest
Rodents, mongoose, snakes, frogs, birds, lizards, large mammals, and insects
Products/Techniques Developed or Tested
- Nontarget effects of pesticides
- Modeling populations
- Repellents
- Mongoose baits
- Frog control techniques and chemicals
Current Research
- Evaluation of rodenticides
- Development of mongoose lures
- Evaluation of invasive bird impacts
- Determination of rodenticide residues
- Evaluation of frog pesticides
Education
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Ph.D., Utah State University, Ecology. "Interactions among vertebrate predators and invertebrate prey in a temperate grassland."
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M.S., Utah State University, Wildlife Ecology, "Evaluation of wildlife depredation at fish hatcheries in the Intermountain West"
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B.S., University of Minnesota, Fish and Wildlife Biology
Previous Positions
- Affiliate Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Hawaii (2004-Present)
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry, Range, Wildlife, Utah State University (2002 –present)
- Graduate Faculty, Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Hawaii. (2007 –present
- Environmental Science Officer and Medical Entomologist, United States Army (1984-2007
- Research Wildlife Biologist, USDA Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Logan UT (1998-2002)
- Resource Analyst, Pioneer Environmental Consulting. (1997-1998)
- Adjunct Faculty, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois (2002-2004)
- Faculty, Berryman Institute, Utah State University (2001-2003)
International Experience
- Pacific Basin (rodenticides)
- Middle East (wildlife health hazards)
- Central and South America (health hazards)
- Canada (ungulate biology)
Contact Information
- Address: Wildlife Services, NWRC Hawaii Field Station, P.O. Box 10880, Hilo, Hawaii 96721
- Telephone: 808-961-4482 ext. 22
- Fax: 808-961-4776
- E-mail: Will.Pitt@aphis.usda.gov
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