Wittemyer works to develop solutions to biodiversity conservation issues, aimed at lessening human impacts to at-risk wildlife populations, with a focus on elephants in Africa and large herbivores in North America.

Wittemyer studies how the landscape, humans and the climate impact demography, distribution, behavior and movement of at-risk wildlife populations. He works to actively translate his research into policy actions and incubate novel conservation solutions.

Wittemyer serves as the Chair of the Scientific Board of Save the Elephants, a technical advisor on elephants to the Kenya Wildlife Service, and on IUCN’s African Elephants Specialist Group.

Wittemyer earned his B.A. in biology with honors from Colorado College in 1997, and his Ph.D. in environmental science, policy and management from the University of Clifornia, Berkeley in 2005. He did post-doctoral work on a National Science Foundation international fellowship in both Uganda and Copenhagen.