Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith is a conservation biologist whose work includes the behavioral ecology of mammals, effects of habitat fragmentation, and ecosystem services provided by small mammals. He primarily works in the mountains of the western United States and on the Tibetan plateau. His research focuses on the pika, a small relative of rabbits.

Professor Smith is involved in global conservation issues and has served since 1991 as Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Lagomorph Specialist Group. He has also served as an advisor to the Chinese government on issues concerning biodiversity. His “A Guide to the Mammals of China” is the first comprehensive treatment of the 556 mammal species found in China. The American Society of Mammalogists chose Smith as the recipient of its 2015 Aldo Leopold Conservation Award.

When an active faculty member he taught mammalogy; conservation of biodiversity; conservation in practice; and field techniques in conservation biology and ecology.