Dr. Melinda Ellison is an associate professor of Range Livestock at the University of Idaho Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center near Salmon, Idaho. She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Animal and Veterinary Sciences from the University of Wyoming and began her career with the University of Idaho in 2016. Having grown up on a beef cattle ranch in Colorado, raising a personal flock of sheep, and maintaining close working connection with agriculture throughout her life, she conveys a great deal of dedication and passion to her research and outreach of applied solutions to grazing livestock issues with stakeholders and fellow scientists. Her research is centered on the critical role of range livestock systems for sustainable ecology and economies of rural communities in the US West. Specific areas of research and application include solutions to mitigate livestock-wildlife conflicts, rapidly quantify livestock and wildlife grazing impacts on rangelands at a landscape scale, offset nutritional challenges of targeted grazing regimens, accurately valuate/appraise livestock grazing for reduction of wildfire risk, and enhance targeted grazing accuracy through livestock genetics. Most notably, she has been a leader in the field of using virtual fencing to manage cattle on publicly owned, broad grazing allotments in the rugged mountains of Idaho to address challenges related to sensitive fish and wildlife habitats and post-wildfire grazing management.