The fellowship will support Rohde’s research and outreach on integrating conservation practices, farming and water-quality investments to benefit wildlife and agriculture in the Midwest.
Michael Rohde won the 2026 Ronald F. Labisky Graduate Fellowship in Wildlife Policy and will present the award at The Wildlife Society Annual Conference in Des Moines, Iowa.
Rohde’s PhD work at Iowa State University examines how adding wetlands to farmland can support wildlife coexistence, water resources and agricultural productivity.
The fellowship will fund Rohde’s efforts to connect wildlife science with policy and with the people who plan, fund and implement water-quality and conservation programs.
# What happened
Ronald F. Labisky Graduate Fellowship in Wildlife Policy to Michael Rohde, a PhD student at Iowa State University. The fellowship supports full-time graduate students in wildlife biology, ecology, management or conservation in the United States, Canada or Mexico who demonstrate commitment to advancing wildlife policy. The award will be presented at TWS' Annual Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, starting Nov. 1.
# Why this matters
Rohde's research focuses on practical conservation measures—particularly adding wetlands to agricultural land—to improve coexistence among wildlife, water resources and farm productivity. The fellowship is intended to help graduate students connect scientific work with policy decisions and the people who implement conservation and water-quality programs.
# What Rohde will use the fellowship for
Rohde said the fellowship will allow him to spend more time engaging directly with program planners, funders and implementers. He described specific goals:
He emphasized that policy is integrated into every aspect of his work: "This fellowship will help me bring those pieces together and spend more time talking with the people who plan, fund and implement these programs." Rohde also noted the fellowship's personal significance because Dr. Labisky advocated for more wildlife professionals to think seriously about policy and had ties to the Midwest.
Adam Janke, Rohde's PhD advisor and an associate professor at Iowa State, nominated him and praised his contributions to research, teaching and mentorship. Janke wrote that Rohde is an "exceptional graduate student and promising young professional" who will influence wildlife conservation and the places wildlife use.
# Research context and focus
Rohde's graduate work examines how strategic conservation practices on farms—wetland restoration and creation, for example—can support both environmental and agricultural objectives. The research spans wildlife responses, water-resource outcomes and implications for agricultural productivity. Photographs associated with the announcement show Rohde surveying amphibians and reptiles in an Iowa wetland, reflecting the hands-on field work in his study.
# What to expect next
Rohde will present or accept the award at The Wildlife Society annual meeting in Des Moines beginning Nov. 1. The fellowship period should provide time for expanded outreach and for grounding his research findings in policy- and program-level conversations that influence conservation investments.
# Bottom line
The Labisky fellowship aims to strengthen the bridge between wildlife science and policy. Rohde's research—focused on wetlands on agricultural land and their effects on wildlife and water quality—fits that intent. The award will fund more direct engagement with decision-makers and implementers to help align water-quality investments with wildlife benefits.
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