She is also a Faculty Affiliate of the Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center and the Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering. Dr. Rittenhouse earned a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri – Columbia, and a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Prior to joining the UConn faculty, she was a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the Department of Botany and then in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. Her research quantifies wildlife population response to changes in habitats and landscapes. She addresses conservation issues of global relevance, including expansion of exurban landscapes, forest management, emerging wildlife diseases, and climate change, while also serving the needs of local managers.