Rate My Professor Julie Blanchong

Julie A. Blanchong is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Education in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State University of Science and Technology. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Bowling Green State University, an M.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife with concentrations in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior from Michigan State University. As a wildlife ecologist, Blanchong investigates ecological and genetic factors that influence the health of wildlife populations to contribute to their conservation and management. Her research focuses on wildlife health, diseases of conservation concern, and wildlife genetics. She conducts studies to mitigate disease issues benefiting wildlife and their users, including spatial epidemiology of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer, landscape genetics related to disease distribution, lead exposure in bald eagles, and persistence of pathogens in wetlands.

Blanchong's scholarly impact is evidenced by over 1,483 citations on Google Scholar. Key publications include 'Landscape genetics and the spatial distribution of chronic wasting disease' (Biology Letters, 2008), 'Spatial epidemiology of chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin white-tailed deer' (Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 2006), 'Infectious disease in cervids of North America: data, models, and management challenges' (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2008), 'Application of genetics and genomics to wildlife epidemiology' (Journal of Wildlife Management, 2016), and 'Geographical genetics: conceptual foundations and empirical applications of spatial genetic data in wildlife management' (Journal of Wildlife Management, 2005). She teaches courses such as AECL 454/554 Principles of Wildlife Diseases, AECL 455 International Wildlife Issues, and GLOBE 402 Responses to Global Resource Systems Challenges. Blanchong leads study abroad programs in eight countries across four continents, including Antarctica, Ecuador, Thailand, and Uganda, as part of the Uganda Service Learning program and others. She serves as Associate Director of University Programs in the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods to enhance international experiences and global engagement. Her affiliations include interdepartmental graduate programs in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Immunobiology, and Microbiology.