Alyssa Mahaney ’19

Unity College Alum, Alyssa Mahaney, works as a Predator Conflict Prevention Specialist.

“I’ve been hunting and trapping since I was a child. When I turned 18 I got my Registered Maine Hunting and Trapping Guide license and guided bear hunts in northern Maine. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management and my Master’s degree in Natural Resource Management. I’ve been working for USDA Wildlife Services as a Wildlife Specialist for 8 years now and we provide federal leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts that allow people and wildlife to coexist.

I’ve worked on urban whitetail deer and Canada goose projects for USDA Wildlife Services in Pennsylvania, mitigating wolf-livestock conflicts for USDA Wildlife Services in Oregon and currently, I mitigate conflicts between predators and livestock for USDA Wildlife Services in Colorado.

The online Master’s program at Unity College was PERFECT for me because I work full-time, and I have a very unique schedule due to the amount of fieldwork I have. I loved the classes offered for the program and how it went all year, as I was able to complete my Master’s in one year. The classes offered in my Master’s program have helped me prepare for the 0486 series with the federal government (0486-Wildlife Biologist), as I have been taking on more responsibility in writing NEPA documents and biological program reports.

Dr. Brent Bibles was my capstone professor, along with a few other classes, and he was by far the best professor I’ve ever had. He answered every question I had promptly, explained things so well for me to understand via the internet, and was always there to push us to think critically. If Unity ever offers doctorates online, I will definitely be enrolling in the program!”