Fairfax County Police Department News

The Fairfax County Police Department has appointed Dr. Katherine Edwards to the Wildlife Management Specialist position with the Animal Services Division.

Dr. Edwards has more than 10 years of experience as a wildlife biologist, including program planning, implementation and coordination of administrative, operational, and financial activities for conservation and wildlife management projects. Dr. Edwards received her Bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Virginia, and she received her Master’s degree in wildlife science and her Doctorate in forest resources from Mississippi State University. She is a Certified Wildlife Biologist. Some of her professional experiences include:

•         Supervising projects allocated by the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Weyerhaeuser Company, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Army Corp of Engineer’s Construction Engineering and Research Laboratory.

•         Developing innovative strategies for wildlife monitoring and adaptive management for the NRCS National Easement Assessment Program with the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries at the University of Tennessee.

•       Overseeing and implementing grant proposals, conservation planning, field research protocol, statistical analysis, and reporting in her role as a research associate with the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University.

•         Managing conservation programs focused on salamanders, gopher tortoises, bats, birds, and upland game species in the southeastern United States.

•         Advising Mississippi landowners on humane wildlife relocation and management techniques.

Most recently, Dr. Edwards served as the professional development coordinator for The Wildlife Society, where she managed the certification program for wildlife biologists as well as continuing education opportunities for wildlife professionals and students. She was the Wildlife Society headquarters liaison with more than 200 regional sections across the United States.

In her spare time, Dr. Edwards enjoys taking advantage of the abundant recreational opportunities available in the County and surrounding areas, including hiking, nature photography, camping, and kayaking.