Karla Vargas

Dr. Karla L. Vargas is a Conservation Scientist and Educator dedicated to protecting biodiversity and training the next generation of conservation leaders. She is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the School of Conservation Futures at Arizona State University. Her research integrates wildlife genomics, viromics, and metagenomics to understand how environmental change shapes the health and resilience of wildlife populations across taxa and ecosystems. Her work is inherently interdisciplinary, and she collaborates with agencies, conservation practitioners, and other stakeholders to generate data that inform conservation planning and management decisions.

In addition to her academic role, Dr. Vargas serves as a Scientific Consultant for the Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center, where she contributes to long-term biodiversity monitoring efforts across southern Arizona in collaboration with community scientists. This work reflects her commitment to applied conservation and to building partnerships that connect research with on-the-ground impact.

In her teaching, Dr. Vargas emphasizes hands-on, data-driven learning, bringing real-world datasets and conservation challenges into the classroom to help students build practical skills and connect theory to application. She is also a committed mentor who supports students from diverse backgrounds, including first-generation and underrepresented learners. Through mentorship and community outreach, she works to make science more accessible and relevant beyond the university.

Dr. Vargas views conservation research and education as closely connected, and is committed to training students who can contribute meaningfully to conservation in practice.