Michelle Lute is a conservation scientist and advocate with fifteen years’ experience in biodiversity conservation on public and private lands around the globe. She dedicates her professional life to promoting human-wildlife coexistence through effective public engagement, equitable participatory processes, and evidence-based decision-making. Michelle holds a PhD in wildlife management from Michigan State University, an MS in animal behavior and ecology from the University of Notre Dame, and a BS in geography and environmental science from Valparaiso University.