Rate My Professor Chris Yahnke

Christopher Yahnke is Professor of Wildlife and Curator of Birds and Mammals at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Museum of Natural History, within the College of Natural Resources. He earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Biology from Northern Illinois University, and his B.S. in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Yahnke joined the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2001 as Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology, advancing to Associate Professor in 2007 and Professor in 2013. He served as Chair of the Biology Department from 2007 to 2016 before transitioning to his current role as Professor in the Division of Wildlife in September 2020. Earlier in his career, he was Assistant Professor of Biology at Clarke University from 1999 to 2001. His undergraduate research examined effects of migratory waterfowl on urban lagoon chemistry, gull predation by peregrine falcons, and hiker impacts on falcons. Graduate studies focused on systematics and ecology of neotropical mammals, molecular techniques for ancient DNA analysis of rare foxes, and population ecology of small mammals and hantavirus in the Paraguayan Chaco.

Yahnke's research specializations encompass community ecology of bats and small mammals, systematics and ecology of neotropical mammals, population ecology of small mammals and hantavirus, molecular techniques for ancient DNA, museum science, and science education. Notable publications include 'Genetic and demographic analysis of invasive Peromyscus leucopus in the northern Great Lakes region' (Journal of Mammalogy, 2019, with Moscarella et al.); 'Dead mice can grow – variation of standard external mammal measurements from live and three postmortem body states' (Journal of Mammalogy, 2015, with Stevens et al.); 'The end of the Pleistocene: Elk-moose and caribou in Wisconsin' (Journal of Mammalogy, 2011, with Long); 'Habitat use and natural history of small mammals in the central Paraguayan Chaco' (Mastozoologia Neotropical, 2006); and 'Patterns of infection with Laguna Negra virus in wild populations of Calomys laucha in the central Paraguayan chaco' (American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2001, with Meserve et al.). He teaches courses such as Field Ecology of Hawaii, Carnivore Ecology, Mammalogy, and Conservation Biology. Yahnke serves on the Program Review Committee (2016-present), was UWSP faculty representative on the UW-System Women and Science Program Board (2007-2015), and participates in Bioblitz events. In 2017, he received the Justus F. and Barbara J. Paul Faculty Award.