MALACHI D. WHITFORD, PH.D.
Turning Passion Into a Career as a Staff Scientist
MALACHI D. WHITFORD, Ph.D.
Malachi has 7 years of experience as an ecologist. His interest in ecology and natural history began at a young age, as he spent most of his free time exploring the canals and farmland surrounding his childhood home in Caruthers, CA.
To turn his passion for natural history into a career, Malachi enrolled at Fresno City College, where he took a field biology course that he credits with laying the groundwork for his future success as a biologist. Malachi then went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in biology from Humboldt State University and joined a research lab studying the predator-prey interactions between rattlesnakes and kangaroo rats.
He continued this line of research
as he completed a Ph.D. in the Joint-Doctoral Program in Ecology from San Diego State University and University of California, Davis. His doctoral research used a combination of trail cameras and highspeed cameras to study the factors influencing the outcome of predator-prey interactions between rattlesnakes and kangaroo rats.
In his spare time, Malachi enjoys woodworking, powerlifting, gardening, and exploring the outdoors with his friends and family.