The Arctic Beringia team is a hale and hardy group of individuals dedicated to and driven by their work. Our group includes northerner dwellers who have witnessed many of the recent changes to their environment first-hand. Our science staff consists of Dr. Martin Robards, Dr. Kevin Fraley, Dr. Taylor Stinchcomb, Dr. Michelle Johannsen, Kayla Shively and Maya Homsy King. Our WCS Canada Program partners include Dr. Steve Insley and Dr. William Halliday.
Dr. Martin Robards is Regional Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society's Arctic Beringia Program – spanning the Russian Far East, northern Alaska, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in Canada. He is an accomplished ecologist and policy analyst who has worked extensively with Indigenous communities and their representatives in the Arctic. While Martin’s experience reflects 3-decades of living and working in Alaska for federal, commercial, non-profit, and Indigenous entities, he has also worked at the Marine Mammal Commission in Washington D.C. His goal is to encourage the development and implementation of conservation policies that are more responsive to new scientific understandings, transboundary and cross-cultural needs, and the rapid changes in ecological, social, and economic conditions of the Arctic. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed scientific articles, Op-eds in outlets such as the NY Times, and is affiliate faculty with the University of Alaska. He represents environmental groups on the board of Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS).
Dr. Michelle Johannsen grew up in southeast Minnesota, received her Bachelor of Science at Winona State University studying cell and molecular biology, received her Master of Science at the University of Montana in Exercise Science, and completed her PhD research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Biology, where she has been living now for nearly a decade. She currently works as a biologist and One Health scientist for WCS to better understand the interface between human, animal, and environmental health. Using a co-production of knowledge approach, she has begun work with local and Indigenous partners to develop a community-based wildlife health surveillance network with the aim of supporting food sovereignty, food security, and traditional practices in rural Alaskan villages. Her passions include science communication, the outdoors, and recreation, including spending her free time volunteering for the Alaska Alpine Club.
Taylor grew up on a farm in Northern Colorado, searching for local critters by day and listening to the howl of coyotes every night. As as a Social Science & Co-Production Specialist, Taylor develops research and guidance in biocultural conservation, knowledge co-production, Indigenous data sovereignty, collaborative wildlife management, human-wildlife coexistence, and participatory research methods. She is eager to build meaningful partnerships to enhance our collective stewardship of a changing environment. Taylor received her Ph.D. in Natural Resources Social Science from Purdue University, where she studied human-deer interactions across Indiana, and her M.S. in Wildlife Biology & Conservation from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she studied the impacts of aircraft noise on subsistence harvesters in Arctic Alaska (Nuiqsut). When not working, she enjoys hiking, birding, cycling, berry picking, and gardening under the midnight sun, and spending long winter nights playing games, painting, and watching movies with her husband and their cat.
Kevin grew up hiking, fishing, and hunting with his family in Northwest Montana. Spending much of his formative years exploring the Bob Marshall and Great Bear Wilderness Areas fostered his love for public lands and wildlife. He moved to Fairbanks, Alaska in 2008 and completed a B.S. And M.S. in fisheries science. Alaska quickly became home thanks to the unparalleled outdoor adventure opportunities that the state offers. Kevin was drawn to northern Alaska due to its wide expanses of undeveloped land, quirky yet friendly people, and as a gateway to adventures in the Arctic. After time in New Zealand to complete a PhD in Aquatic Ecology, Kevin began work with WCS Arctic Beringia in 2020. His areas of research interest include fish movements, aquatic ecotoxicology, community ecology, and effects of climate change and industrial development on fish populations.
Maya grew up in Kampala, Uganda where she first became interested in One Health through an internship observing the Ebola virus outbreak response in 2019. To Maya, One Health is a way to use science and social science to develop mutually beneficial relationships between humans, animals and the environment we share. She received her bachelor's degree from University College Utrecht, and her Master's in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley in 2023. She conducted her Master's research at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, investigating employee health at wild great ape sites which furthered her interest in zoonotic disease transmission and community-driven research. Maya started at WCS in early 2024, and works as a social science investigator on a One Health surveillance project using co-production of knowledge methods.
Rachel is the Grants Officer for the Wildlife Conservation Society's Arctic Beringia Program. Her passion for animals and appreciation for nature developed when she grew up on a farm/ranch in Colorado. After living in Colorado for part of her life, she then moved to Fairbanks, Alaska where she went to school and graduated with a bachelor's degree. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, camping, kayaking, and spending time with her husband and three pets.
Carrie was born and raised in Interior Alaska, spending her childhood riding bikes on dirt roads, going on family adventures around the state, and playing sports under the midnight sun. She graduated from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, with degrees in finance and political science, and spent ten years with the Harley-Davidson Motor Company before beginning a new career with WCS. As Regional Business Manager, she leads fundraising and budget management, supporting a wonderful team of scientists and colleagues. When not working you can find her volunteering for local children's organizations and wrangling two small sons with the help of her partner, Jesse.
I was born and raised in a town of Lukhovitsy, Moscow Province, Russia. I got my PhD in Moscow State University working with endangered cranes, then was a postdoctoral researcher at University of Wisconsin-Madison and North Carolina State University. After joining WCS in 2017, I led research on Amur tiger behavior, Red-Crowned and White-Naped Crane reintroduction success, and other conservation topics. I also spend a lot of time teaching as part of my capacity building activities. I develop and lead new courses delivered online or in person. For example, I strongly believe that nature conservation is largely about people, and have organized a number of courses geared to engaging people in conservation.
When I’m not puzzled over conservation/research questions, I’m usually trying to prevent my 2 kids from causing too much trouble. When both me and my husband are ready to give up, we take those two to places where troubles lead to consequences, for instance canoe paddling or biking, hoping they will learn a lesson.
Our field technicians are the ones who grit it out in the field for the long-haul. They work hard in tough weather, sleep in tents for months at a time, and then when they finally come back to town, are sifting scats, reading scales, and analyzing hatch dates.
© 2026 Arctic Beringia
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