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Lachlan G. Howell

(he/him)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Deakin University, Deakin University

Research Fellow and Chief Remote Pilot @ Deakin University | Honorary Associate Lecturer @ The University of Newcastle | Drone scientist | Developing economic arguments for emerging technologies for wildlife conservation | Coordinate drone use at Deakin University as Chief Remote Pilot | https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/people/lachlan-howell

Experience

  • 2022–present
    Chief Remote Pilot, Drone Operations Coordinator and Maintenance Controller, Deakin University
  • 2021–present
    Postdoctoral Research Fellow , Deakin University's Centre for Integrative Ecology
  • 2021–present
    Honorary Associate Lecturer , University of Newcastle
  • 2020–2022
    Freelance Conservation Scientist and Remote Pilot, NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
  • 2020–2021
    Casual Academic, University of Newcastle
  • 2017–2021
    PhD Candidate , University of Newcastle
  • 2019–2021
    Freelance Conservation Scientist Consultant, FAUNA Research Alliance
  • 2016–2017
    Research assistant, University of Newcastle

Education

  • 2022 
    The University of Newcastle, Doctor of Philosophy. PhD Thesis titled "Examining the cost-effectiveness of emerging technologies for more effective threatened species conservation"
  • 2021 
    The University of Western Australia, Applied Benefit: Cost Analysis, Masters Level Micro-credential (with High Distinction)
  • 2016 
    The University of Newcastle , Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (Honours)
  • 2015 
    The University of Newcastle , Bachelor of Science with a major in Biological Sciences and with a major in Earth Sciences

Publications

  • 2023
    Modeling genetic benefits and financial costs of integrating biobanking into the conservation breeding of managed marsupials, Conservation Biology
  • 2022
    Emerging arguments for reproductive technologies in wildlife and their implications for assisted reproduction and conservation of threatened marsupials, Theriogenology
  • 2022
    Modelling Genetic Benefits and Financial Costs of Integrating Biobanking into the Captive Management of Koalas, Animals
  • 2022
    Putting the PASS in Class: Peer Mentors' Identities in Science Workshops on Campus and Online., Journal of Peer Learning
  • 2022
    Drone thermal imaging technology provides a cost-effective tool for landscape-scale monitoring of a cryptic forest-dwelling species across all population densities, Wildlife Research
  • 2022
    Intergenerational inequity: stealing the joy and benefits of nature from our children, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
  • 2022
    The Relative Role of Knowledge and Empathy in Predicting Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behavior, Sustainability
  • 2021
    Beyond species counts for assessing, valuing, and conserving biodiversity: response to Wallach et al. 2019, Conservation Biology
  • 2021
    Integrating biobanking could produce significant cost benefits and minimise inbreeding for Australian amphibian captive breeding programs, Reproduction, Fertility and Development
  • 2020
    Trialling a real-time drone detection and validation protocol for the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), Australian Mammalogy
  • 2020
    Response to comments on “Compassionate Conservation deserves a morally serious rather than dismissive response-reply to Callen et al., 2020”, Biological Conservation
  • 2020
    Evaluating amphibian biobanking and reproduction for captive breeding programs according to the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan objectives, Theriogenology
  • 2020
    Envisioning the future with ‘compassionate conservation’: An ominous projection for native wildlife and biodiversity, Biological Conservation
  • 2020
    PUTTING THE PASS IN CLASS: IN-CLASS PEER MENTORING ON CAMPUS AND ONLINE, Proceedings of The Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (formerly UniServe Science Conference)
  • 2020
    Real-time drone derived thermal imagery outperforms traditional survey methods for an arboreal forest mammal, Plos one
  • 2020
    Integrating biobanking minimises inbreeding and produces significant cost benefits for a threatened frog captive breeding programme, Conservation Letters
  • 2019
    Reintroducing rewilding to restoration–Rejecting the search for novelty, Biological Conservation
  • 2019
    The search for novelty continues for rewilding, Biological Conservation
  • 2019
    Deconstructing compassionate conservation, Conservation Biology
  • 2018
    An examination of funding for terrestrial vertebrate fauna research from Australian federal government sources, Pacific Conservation Biology

Grants and Contracts

  • 2022
    Drone surveys vs double-observer counts for East Gippsland Koala populations.
    Role:
    Lead
    Funding Source:
    Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
  • 2022
    Machine learning development for automated drone detection of cryptic wildlife’
    Role:
    Co-lead
    Funding Source:
    Deakin University

Professional Memberships

  • FAUNA Research Alliance
  • Ecological Society of Australia
  • Australasian Wildlife Management Society
  • Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University

Research Areas

  • Conservation And Biodiversity (050202)
  • Public Policy (160510)
  • Wildlife And Habitat Management (050211)
  • Animal Reproduction (070206)
  • Environmental Sciences (05)