Author: Bruce D. Leopold

Bruce D. Leopold received a B.S. in forest science from Pennsylvania State University in 1977, an M.S. in forestry from Mississippi State University in 1979, and a Ph.D. in wildlife ecology from the University of Arizona in 1984. He recently retired after three decades of service at Mississippi State University, where he was the Sharp Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology, Executive Director of the Center for Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts, and former head of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture. He is a Fellow and Past President of the Wildlife Society as well as a Professional Member of the Boone and Crockett Club.Winifred B. Kessler received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. A Certified Wildlife Biologist, she is a Fellow and Past President of the Wildlife Society. She held faculty positions at the University of Idaho, Utah State University, and University of Northern British Columbia, where her innovative and integrated approach to natural resources education earned her the British Columbia Academic of the Year Award in 1997. Wini served 21 years with the U.S. Forest Service, retiring in 2010 as a regional director for the Alaska Region. A Professional Member of the Boone and Crockett Club since 1993, she also serves on the boards of Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, and other non-profits. In 2017 she received the Wildlife Society’s highest honor, the Aldo Leopold Memorial Award. James L. Cummins holds a B.S. in fisheries management from Mississippi State University and an M.S. in fisheries science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. A Certified Fisheries Biologist and a Certified Wildlife Biologist, Cummins is Executive Director of Wildlife Mississippi. He formerly worked in the United States Senate. He is a Regular Member of the Boone and Crockett Club and currently serves as the club’s Vice-President. Cummins conceptualized and worked to pass legislation to protect, recover, and enhance forests, wetlands, prairie, wildlife, and endangered species, primarily with private landowners through the federal tax code and the Farm Bill.