Dr. Michelle LaRue

Roles: Panelist

Dr. Michelle LaRue is a Rutherford Discovery Fellow and associate professor at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where she focuses on ecological and conservation issues in the Southern Ocean. Her research centers on the distribution, habitat and effects of human impacts on populations of emperor and Adélie penguins, Weddell seals and crabeater seals. Her trailblazing work has advanced new methods for studying animals from space and resulted in the first global population estimates of three species (emperor penguins, Adélie penguins and Weddell seals). Her work continues to inform international policy. LaRue started her research career studying wildlife like bats, geese and deer in Minnesota (B.S. 2005). This propelled her to a master’s degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (M.S. 2007), where she focused on the range expansion of cougars in midwestern North America. Earning her Ph.D. in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota in 2014, LaRue has not only honed her research and communication skills but has also worked as a private consultant and grant writer, published four dozen papers, garnered more than $5 million in grant funding, and has conducted research in Antarctica across 10 field seasons. LaRue’s fieldwork includes aerial surveys of emperor penguins and biologging of both penguins and seals in the Ross Sea, and she is the author of a children’s book, “Young Zoologist: Emperor Penguins,” distributed by Neon Squid.

LaRue has a passion for science communication, and as a speaker, her cutting-edge research and accessibility make her one of the foremost communicators in her field. Routinely asked to present to a variety of audiences, she has given more than 80 presentations, ranging from guest lectures and small gatherings at Audubon Societies to prestigious meetings like the Gordon Research Conference and IdeaCity. Over the past 15 years, LaRue has become a trusted media expert with her internationally recognized research covered by hundreds of media outlets, including articles in The Wall Street Journal and National Geographic and several TV and radio interviews on NBC Nightly News, BBC and NPR.