Welcome
Welcome to the ICTWS Mentorship Program! Prospective mentees, please review the profiles of available mentors below. Once you have made a selection, please carbon-copy idahochaptertws@gmail.com in your first email so we can keep track of active mentorships. We expect all interactions to be professional, respectful, and courteous. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact either Sandy Amdor (Mentorship Program Coordinator, sandy.amdor@idfg.idaho.gov) or the ICTWS Secretary (idahochaptertws@gmail.com).
Prospective mentors can be added, edited, or removed at any time. The mentorship can be ended at any time by either party. The ICTWS Executive Board and Mentorship Program Coordinator have the prerogative to remove non-responsive mentors from the list, decline disruptive mentees, or others acting in bad faith to the goal of the program. If the mentorship is terminated for any reason, the mentor and mentee are welcome to enter a new mentorship in the program. The ICTWS Mentorship Program simply seeks to connect willing students and early career professionals with willing professionals. A productive mentorship must be mutually agreed upon by both parties. We expect all interactions and communications to be professional and respectful to both parties of the mentorship.
Mentees, it is your responsibility to reach-out, introduce yourself, and set-up a your first meeting. We recommend that a remote or in-person introductory meeting take place to establish expectations between the mentor and mentee. The mentorship relationship and its established expectations are completely at-will.
Advice for Mentees
- Research your potential mentor as best you can before you contact them. It’s good practice to mention how your interests and career goals align with the mentor’s work or research (1-2 sentences). Be specific while remaining concise. Short, enthusiastic, and to the point is best!
- Outline your mentoring interests and needs are, including your availability.
- Proofread your email for grammar and errors before sending. Reading your email aloud or typing it out in a word processor first are great ways to catch errors.
- Attach your resume or CV to introduce yourself to the mentor. Be sure to include relevant course work, expected graduation date, and any work or research experience. Don’t worry – everyone starts with minimal experience!
- Send your initial email from your school email address (if you have one). This will prevent your email from getting lost in a Spam folder!
Sign-up to be a Mentor!
Do you want to help mentor the next generation of wildlife professional? Sign-up here and fill-out this short survey describing your interests and availability! If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, please email idahochaptertws@gmail.com.
https://forms.gle/ATgM7Lw3RhhBR9z2A
Mentor Profiles
Seth Harju
Position: Biometrician
Interests: Freelance consultant for statistical analysis of wildlife and ecology data.
Availability: 2-4 visits (Remote only)
Support: Resume review, Academic course work/transcript review, Academic course selection/suggestions. Volunteer/field experience, General discussion
Mentor style: Careers outside of academia and agencies, particularly statistical consulting
Contact: seth@heronecological.com
Madeline Aberg
Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
Interests: Social-ecological approaches to studying outdoor recreation impacts on wildlife, including wildlife population assessments and surveys of recreationists.
Availability: Monthly visits/check-ins (Remote only)
Support: Resume review, Academic course work/transcript review, Academic course selection/suggestions, Chat about research ideas, Career paths
Mentor style: I’m happy to share skills from my research or professional development with mentees. I also want to know about my mentee’s goals and to help them work towards those goals.
Contact: madeline.aberg@gmail.com, madelineaberg@boisestate.edu
Joshua Uriarte
Position: Terrestrial Program Manager & Policy Advisor
Interests: ESA wildlife policy and work with stakeholders
Availability: 2-4 visits (Remote, Field, and/or In-person {Boise})
Support: Resume review, Academic course selection/suggestions, Ride-along/job shadowing, Volunteer/field experience
Mentor style: Experiences working with other agencies, stakeholder, and policy
Contact: joshua.uriarte@osc.idaho.gov
Toby Boudreau
Position: Deer and Elk Coordinator
Interests: Sustainable harvest, predator prey relationships, aerial survey
Availability: Monthly visits/check-ins (In-person {Boise})
Support: Resume review, Academic course work/transcript review, Academic course selection/suggestions, Ride-along/job shadowing, Volunteer/field experience
Mentor style: 37 years of experience in 3 different agencies
Contact: toby.boudreau@idfg.idaho.gov
Toni Holthuijzen
Position: Retired; Part-time consulting
Interests: Bird research, riparian vegetation, & amphibians. Over 40 years of experience working on licensing, compliance, and mitigation.
Availability: 2-4 visits (Remote or In-person {Boise})
Support: Resume review, Academic course work/transcript review, Volunteer/field experience
Mentor style: Extensive field research in field ecology including licensing, mitigation, land management, and compliance
Contact: aholthuijzen@gmail.com
Sandy Amdor
Position: Senior Wildlife Technician
Interests: Nongame wildlife survey, inventory, management, and relocation from beavers to bats to bumble bees. Big game captures and camera projects. Background in canid research. 25 years experience with state, federal, and private agencies.
Availability: 2-4 visits, possible extension (Field and remote {Nampa})
Support: Resume review, Ride-along/job shadowing, Volunteer/field experience.
Mentor style: Discussion on working with different agencies, advice on employment, interview help, and field trips!
Contact: sandy.amdor@idfg.idaho.gov
Maria Pacioretty
Position: Habitat Biologist
Interests: Habitat restoration, habitat project planning, wildlife and vegetation surveys
Availability: 2-4 visits (Field and remote {Pocatello})
Support: Resume review, Ride-along/job shadowing, Volunteer/field experience
Mentor style: I’ve been the recipient of good mentorships to get into my career, so I strive to pay that forward! I already mentor ISU interns and seasonal technicians. I enjoy learning with each mentee and helping them succeed. I can help the mentee design projects to fulfill course requirements.
Contact: maria.pacioretty@idfg.idaho.gov
Sean Schroff
Position: Wildlife Biologist
Interests: Manage wildlife and their habitats
Availability: 2-4 visits (Field and remote {Salmon})
Support: Resume review, Academic course work/transcript review, Academic course selection/suggestions, Ride-along/job shadowing
Mentor style: Managing wildlife for a state agency
Contact: sean.schroff@idfg.idaho.gov
Laura Wolf
Position: Wildlife Biologist
Interests: Big game habitat improvement, population estimation, collaborate with USFS on large landscape scale projects, and monitoring big game populations
Availability: 2-4 visits (Field and remote {Coeur d’Alene})
Support: Resume review, Academic course work/transcript review, Academic course selection/suggestions, Ride-along/job shadowing
Mentor style: I can provide general guidance for building resumes and writing cover letters. I’m happy to answer questions about working for a state wildlife agency. I can take mentees in the field from time to time.
Contact: laura.wolf@idfg.idaho.gov
Michelle Kemner
Position: Wildlife Staff Ecologist
Interests: I administer programs related to nongame migratory birds and other nongame animals.
Availability: Monthly visits (Remote and In-person {Boise})
Support: Resume review, Academic course work/transcript review, Academic course selection/suggestions
Mentor style: Scientific writing, field skills, leadership, relationship building/collaboration
Contact: michelle.kemner@idfg.idaho.gov
Scott Bodle
Position: Wildlife Program Manager
Interests: Manage forest wildlife program, review ESA consultation, supervise projects, and determine the effects on wildlife species
Availability: 2-4 visits (Remote and In-person {Boise})
Support: Resume review, Volunteer/field experience, help with federal hiring (including special hiring events and direct hire authorities)
Mentor style: Straight talk about experience working with federal land management. Help with career questions related to federal positions, including how to successfully apply for federal positions. 20 years of experience, I have reviewed thousands of resumes for applicants seeking wildlife technician and biologist positions.
Contact: scott.bodle@usda.gov
Tracey Johnson
Position: Associate Professor & Director of Research
Interests: Habitat ecology research, teaching, research administration, graduate student training
Availability: Monthly visits (Field and Remote {Boise})
Support: Resume review, Academic course work/transcript review, Academic course selection/suggestions, Ride-along/job shadowing, Volunteer/field experience
Mentor style: Career-focused
Contact: traceyj@uidaho.edu
Additional Resources
Mentorship Program Resources | College of Agricultural Sciences (oregonstate.edu)