Eric LeFlore

Eric LeFlore

Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences & Studies, Faculty Fellow for the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Justice

eleflore@stonehill.edu
508-565-1387
Shields 104
Env. Sciences & Studies

Biography

Dr. LeFlore was always captivated by the wildlife of African savannas, and a semester abroad in Tanzania cemented his curiosities. He began thinking about how to best protect biodiversity while also benefiting the people living among these fascinating species. His research interests broadly center around the conservation of threatened and endangered species and bridging the gaps between the needs of people and wildlife.

At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, LeFlore worked with Drs. Todd Fuller and Andrew Stein and developed a community-based lion conservation program in the Okavango Delta of northern Botswana called "Pride in Our Prides." This human-lion conflict and coexistence program was designed to help protect a declining lion population while also helping local farmers protect their livestock. The multipronged program investigated livestock losses to large carnivores, explored local villager’s attitudes towards large carnivores, monitored the local lion population, and tested novel conflict mitigation strategies.

LeFlore is continuing this work and remains focused on developing win-win solutions that benefit both people and wildlife. He is also exploring the connections between colonial and neocolonial forces and current wildlife conservation efforts in sub-Saharan Africa.

Education

  • Ph.D.: Environmental Conservation (Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology), University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • M.S.: Environmental Conservation (Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology), University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • B.A.: Environmental Studies, Connecticut College

Areas of Interest

His research interests include wildlife conservation in the age of man, specially related to human-carnivore conflict, and bridging the gap between the ecological and human dimensions of environmental studies.

Research Interests

  • Conservation Biology
  • Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence
  • Large Carnivore Ecology and Conservation
  • Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conservation
  • Environmental Justice

Courses Taught

  • ENV 200: Principles of Environmental Science
  • ENV 201: Environmental Science Field Methods
  • ENV 321: Environmental Racism Toward Environmental Justice
  • ENV 340: Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conservation
  • ENV 345: Conservation Biology

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