Defenders of Wildlife Announces Dr. Sharon Wilcox, PH.D. as New Texas Representative

Defenders of Wildlife is pleased to announce Dr. Sharon Wilcox, Ph.D. has joined our Field Conservation team as a Texas representative, based in Austin.

Statement by Bryan Bird, Southwest program director:

“As Defenders of Wildlife looks to expand our conservation program efforts in Texas, we are excited to have Dr. Wilcox join our team. She worked for Defenders early in her career and we are glad to have her back. With her years of experience and the professional reputation she has built in Austin, she will hit the ground running advocating for species like the ocelot and Golden-cheeked warbler.”

Statement by Sharon Wilcox:

“I am thrilled to be back working for Defenders of Wildlife in Texas on issues near and dear to my heart. My time spent at Defenders early in my career deeply influenced my professional trajectory and to be able to build upon the work that I have accomplished at the local level is an incredible opportunity. This organization has established itself as a leader on protecting species and advocating against the construction of the border wall and I look forward to continuing that work.

“As an Austin resident for the past 15 years, I have closely followed local and state issues facing our community. I am passionate about Texas wildlife and environmental justice and am excited to work with local and underrepresented communities to actively engage in environmental conservation initiatives.”

Background:

Sharon Wilcox holds a Ph.D. in geography from The University of Texas at Austin. Throughout her career in conservation, she has sought to understand how people interact with, communicate about, and value wildlife and habitats. Much of her work to date has been concerned with human interactions with wild cats including jaguars and ocelots. Sharon’s work has been supported by the Smithsonian Institution, the Social Science Research Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Most recently, Sharon served as the Associate Director of the Center for Culture, History, and Environment in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she worked with students, community members and NGO partners to implement programs to support environmental justice and the cultural valuation of wildlife.