David Zaber

David Zaber

Environmental Toxicology • Aquatic Ecology • Sustainable Agriculture • Science Education

Experience

Chicagoland, Illinois, USA • Tanzania, Africa

Professional Experience


Independent Environmental Consultant


Integrated Sustainability Consulting · Contract
Jan 1995 – May 2021 · 26 yrs 5 mos
Multiple locations across the USA and overseas

David provided government and private sector clients with SME-level expertise in environmental and social resilience and sustainability. He planned and executed diverse projects focused on environmental monitoring and assessment, risk assessment, and ecological restoration. (See “Projects” section for details.)

Focus Areas:

  • Environmental Consulting

  • Natural Resource Management

  • Project Management

  • Client Relationship Management

  • Environmental / Social Resilience

  • Sustainability


Emergency Management Coordinator


Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection · Full-time
2012 – 2013 · 1 year
Madison, Wisconsin

David served as part of a 24-month grant program, planning and coordinating emergency response initiatives while serving as the principal contact for Continuation of Operations (COOP) activities—and the organization’s leadership liaison with FEMA’s Region 5 Emergency Support Function.

Select Achievements:

  • Managed nuclear and disease response trainings.

  • Facilitated multi-agency emergency response planning activities.

Focus Areas:

  • Emergency Response Initiatives

  • Nuclear Incident Responses

  • Disease Responses

  • Developing & Leading Training Programs

  • Emergency Preparedness

  • Multi-Agency Responses


Science Fellow


Environmental Law and Policy Center · Internship
2009 – 2010 · 1 year

David evaluated U.S. forest management policies for national forests in the western Great Lakes ecoregion.

Focus Areas:

  • Policy Recommendations

  • Policy Planning

  • National Forest Preservation

  • Conservation

  • Policy Evaluation / Analysis

  • Relationship Management


Visiting Lecturer


University of Wisconsin–Madison · Seasonal
Jun 2009 – Aug 2009 · 3 mos
Madison, WI

Visiting Lecturer – Wetland Ecology


Lecturer / Visiting Lecturer


Edgewood College · Seasonal
2009 · Less than 1 year
Madison, Wisconsin, United States

Taught courses in biological sciences, natural resource management, aquatic ecology, fish ecology, and conservation biology.


Assistant Professor, Conservation Biology


Northern Illinois University · Seasonal
Jan 2007 – Jun 2008 · 1 yr 6 mos
DeKalb, IL

Taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Conservation Biology, Environmental Science, and Fish Ecology. Conducted laboratory, classroom, and field exercises with students from diverse backgrounds. Provided counseling following the Feb. 2008 campus mass shooting.

Select Achievements:

  • Fieldwork contributed to Illinois Natural History Survey database, documenting:

    • Spiny Soft-shelled Turtle (Apalone spinifera) – DeKalb County

    • Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis) – Winnebago County


Lecturer / Visiting Lecturer


Madison Area Technical College · Seasonal
2008 · Less than 1 year
Madison, Wisconsin, United States

Developed and presented undergraduate, graduate, and nontraditional courses in biological sciences, natural resource management, aquatic ecology, fish ecology, and conservation biology.


Lecturer / Visiting Lecturer


University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee · Seasonal
2008 · Less than 1 year
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Developed and presented undergraduate, graduate, and nontraditional courses in biological sciences, natural resource management, aquatic ecology, fish ecology, and conservation biology.


Database Administrator / Research Associate


UW–Madison Arboretum · Full-time
2001 – 2006 · 5 years
Madison, Wisconsin

David designed and initiated chemical and biological monitoring of the Arboretum’s surface and groundwater resources, building a new database integrating over 70 years of ecological data.

Select Achievements:

  • Prepared and implemented stormwater monitoring and management plan.

  • Conducted prescribed burns for prairie and woodland restoration.

Focus Areas:

  • Curriculum Planning

  • Invasive Species Management

  • Ecological Monitoring

  • Water Resource Management

  • Stormwater Monitoring & Management

  • Chemical / Biological Analysis


Director of Science


Defenders of Wildlife · Full-time
1997 – 1998 · 1 year
Washington, D.C.

David represented the organization during the U.S. National Forest Management Act’s reauthorization—the primary statute governing the management of 193+ million acres of public forests and grasslands.

Select Achievements:

  • Delivered expert support for wildlife and habitat conservation programs.

  • Authored Southern Lessons: Saving Species through the National Forest Management Act.

Focus Areas:

  • Influencing Policy

  • Managing Public Forests / Grasslands

  • Wildlife & Habitat Conservation

  • Thought Leadership

  • Testifying on Regulatory / Policy Development


Lecturer / Visiting Lecturer / Teaching Assistant


University of Michigan · Seasonal
Sep 1989 – May 1997 · 7 yrs 9 mos
Ann Arbor, MI; UM Biological Station – Pellston, MI

Developed and presented undergraduate, graduate, and nontraditional courses in biological sciences, natural resource management, aquatic ecology, fish ecology, and conservation biology.


Wildlife Toxicologist


National Wildlife Federation – Great Lakes Natural Resource Center · Full-time
1989 – 1990 · 1 year
Ann Arbor, MI

David developed water quality criteria centered on a landscape management model for persistent and bioaccumulative pollutants to protect wildlife in the Great Lakes.

Focus Areas:

  • Water Quality Criteria Development

  • Landscape Management Modeling

  • Pollution Reduction

  • Wildlife Protection

  • Toxin Reduction

  • Policy Development

Education

University of Michigan

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Resource Ecology and Management


School of Natural Resources and Environment

Rackham Graduate School

Dissertation Title: Spatial Patterns in Indicator Taxa: Effects of Scale of Analysis, Landscape Unit and Data Aggregation.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign


Master of Science - MS, Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences

College of Veterinary Medicine

Thesis: Effects of Pyridostigmine Bromide and Physostigmine Salicylate on Vagal Tone Monitoring in the Rhesus Macaque.

Skills & Expertise

Environmental Program Management Best Practices
Science Education
Water Resource Management

Transformation Management
Staff Training
Grant Administration

Agricultural Best Practices
Policy Planning / Administration
Government Regulations