Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant the co-host of NBC’s newest series Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild. She is a renowned wildlife ecologist focused on how human activity impacs the behavior and ecology of large carnivores. She has studied mountain lions on the California coast, grizzly bears in the Northern Great Plains, black bears in the Western Great Basin, African lions in rural Kenya and Tanzania, and lemurs in Madagascar.

Dr. Wynn-Grant attributes her interest in wildlife and conservation to the television shows she watched as a child and aims to use science media to inspire other future scientists. In addition to Rae’s role co-hosting Wild Kingdom, she is the creator and host of award-winning podcast Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant produced by PBS Nature, and author of the upcoming memoir Wild Life published by Zando and Get Lifted Film Company.

Dr. Wynn-Grant received her B.S. in Environmental Studies from Emory University, her M.S. in Environmental Studies from Yale University, and her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Columbia University. She is currently a Research Faculty member at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara. She is a National Geographic Explorer, and maintains a Visiting Scientist position at the American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Wynn-Grant serves on the Board of Directors for numerous environmental non-profit organizations, where she largely guides equity, inclusion, and diversity strategies.

Rae is a scientist, storyteller, author, professor, and public speaker. She envisions a near-future where leadership in the environmental field and access to nature is safe and equitable for all. Rae lives in Santa Barbara, California with her husband and two young daughters.