Julie Murphree

Julie Jo Murphree has been teaching at ASU since 2009.  Murphree's primary areas of research focus on wildlife conservation, animal behavior, environmental enrichment in captive animals and the ethical concerns surrounding human/non-human relationships. Her analysis on foraging behavior and nutrition in ungulates utilized controlled feeding trials in pygmy goats in order to evaluate the efficacy of DNA sequencing and microhistological analysis for diet determination in wild ruminants. Further ecological interests include population dynamics in mammals and anthropogenic impacts on ecosystem structure. Murphree's most recent research investigates science that informs conservation initiatives aimed at addressing animal welfare concerns, specifically, the ecological, social and economic aspects of the management of free-roaming horses on public lands in the American West. In addition, she is partnering with the Conservation Reserve Program and Oklahoma ranchers in her efforts to restore the mixed prairie grassland of her family's fourth generation farm in the panhandle region of Oklahoma. 

Murphree's master's degree in secondary education, with teacher certification in biology, examined curriculum development and instructional methods in science. Her experience teaching middle school science contributed to the development of her thesis which analyzed the role of situational interest on motivation and student success in science.