Preston is broadly interested in how research can be used to better implement conservation practices. He received his B.A. in Ecology and Conservation Biology at Bowling Green State University, where he first became passionate about global conservation. He also received his M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary biology at Bowling Green State University, where he studied the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly and how its unique butterfly-ant mutualism can buffer the negative effects of climate change. Afterwards, he became a lab manager at UW-Madison where he assisted in field, laboratory, and administrative work. Currently, his curiosities include pollinator ecology, plant-insect ecology, community ecology, and climate change ecology. For his Ph.D., Preston will focus on bumblebee ecology within the Appalachian region and learn how they are being affected by climate change.
