College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Director of Sustainability Partnerships, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever

Biography: Brent Rudolph is the Director of Sustainability Partnerships for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever (PF&QF). He develops collaborative grassland and farmland conservation programs to help meet environmental, social, and economic sustainability goals of partners – including other organizations, corporations, private donors, and foundations. Brent joined PF&QF in August 2021, after previously serving as Chief Conservation and Legislative Officer for the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society for several years. Prior to non-profit conservation, he worked for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) for nearly 18 years where he coordinated policy, public engagement, and development of hunting regulations for deer and elk, oversaw the wildlife agreement under the Partnership for Ecosystem Research and Management program with Michigan State University (MSU), and ran research programs tasked with integrating insights from social sciences and wildlife ecology. Brent earned a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife from MSU while employed with MDNR, through which he examined factors affecting hunters’ trust in the agency and compliance and cooperation with bovine tuberculosis eradication policies. He also has an M.S. in Environmental and Forest Biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and a B.S. in Biology from Ohio Northern University.