Meet Lauren Pharr of Field Inclusive

A Ph.D. candidate studying red-cockaded woodpeckers, Pharr is working to make wildlife field research safer for the next generation of marginalized biologists

By Delaney McPherson
Conservation
Jun 27, 2024

GROWING UP, Lauren Pharr knew she wanted to work with animals, but becoming a veterinarian seemed like the only path available—something she wasn’t passionate about. While studying environmental biology as an undergrad, she learned about other options and decided she wanted to become a researcher. She also realized she wanted to help make careers in science more accessible.

Now a Ph.D. candidate in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology at North Carolina State University, Pharr is studying the effects of climate change on red-cockaded woodpeckers. It’s a specialty she chose to spend more time in the field, even as she’s aware that, as a Black woman, her field experiences differ from those of many of her peers.

“I noticed there was a gap when it came to the support marginalized individuals were getting,” Pharr says. “There is a whole other layer we have to think about—people questioning who you are or what you’re doing. Those can turn into hostile situations.”

In response, Pharr and a lab mate started Field Inclusive, a national nonprofit that provides trainings to help marginalized biologists and researchers understand risks and how to avoid or de-escalate potentially dangerous situations.

Pharr is also an award-winning science communicator. “Wildlife is not a career that is highlighted much, but my colleagues and I are starting to turn that around,” she says. “We go to schools and talk about the cool stuff we do in nature. Minorities can see other successful minorities. It’s beneficial in continuing to diversify the space.”