After studying Black-legged Kittiwakes in Alaska, she returned to the lower 48 where she has since gained over 17 years experience in bird research and education. She has conducted bird surveys, run banding stations, and been a part of bird research in Maine, Virginia, California, and Colorado. Because of her interest in education and bird conservation, she enjoys applying her knowledge of birds to programs that involve people of all ages. She has created education programs in the U.S. and Mexico, assisted with workshops on bird monitoring and conservation in both countries, taught basic identification courses, and led a course for the USFWS National Conservation Training Center. Susan has a B.S. in Biology from Randolph-Macon Woman's College, an M.S. in Ecology, Fisheries, and Wildlife from University of Michigan, and a PhD in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources from Colorado State University.