Sam Davis, Ph.D.
Available for new projects

Scientist. Developer.
Problem Solver.

I bridge the gap between complex environmental data and actionable tools. Currently building SaaS for dog sports and visualizing climate policy risks.

View My Code View Research

Core Technologies

Web Development & SaaS

I build full-stack applications that solve niche problems. Building for the web since 2006

Vue.js Firebase

K9 Course Builder

An interactive SaaS mapping application for Barn Hunt and Dog Agility judges to design, save, and share course maps.

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Vue.js Firebase WordPress

Nonprofit Management Portal

A custom membership portal for local nonprofits, handling event registration, volunteer tracking, and renewals.

Private Client
WordPress API Integration Leaflet.JS

Natura 2000 Plugin

A custom WordPress plugin connecting environmental policy data directly to content management workflows.

View Repos

Intersectional Ecology

The scientific questions that interest me have to do with how humans impact the world around us. This interest has led me to publish everywhere—from Environmental Justice to the Journal of Chemical Ecology.

Research Strategy

I rely on free, open source, and public data to analyze how governments are treating their natural resources and human communities.

Wood Pellets & Environmental Justice

Burning wood pellets to generate electricity is an environmental injustice. I've been working for over a decade to stop the government subsidies driving this pollution.

Value of Nature

Forests are worth more than what they'll make a landowner for pellets, pulp, or lumber. My cross-sectional work mixes conservation, policy, and geospatial analysis.

Natural History

Just because species are rare doesn't mean they're gone - yet. Some of my work focuses on anthropogenic (human-caused) impacts on rare species.

Selected Publications

  • Messick, R. and Davis, S. 2021. "Global Importance of Imperiled Old-growth Forests With an Emphasis on the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains" Imperiled: The Encyclopedia of Conservation.
  • Cipollini, D., Davis, S., et al. 2020. "Biogeographic variation in resistance of the invasive plant, Alliaria petiolata..." Biological Invasions.
  • Koester, S. and S. Davis. 2018. "Siting of wood pellet production facilities in environmental justice communities in the southeastern US." Environmental Justice 11:2.
  • Davis S.L. and D. Cipollini. 2016. "Range, genetic diversity, and future of the threatened butterfly, Pieris virginiensis." Insect Conservation and Diversity.
  • Davis S.L., Frisch T., et al. 2015. "How does garlic mustard lure and kill the West Virginia White butterfly?" Journal of Chemical Ecology.
Sam Davis

About Me

I am an environmental scientist and strategist turned full-stack developer. My career has been defined by a single goal: making important data accessible and actionable.

I earned my Ph.D. in 2015, focusing on the chemical ecology of invasive species. Since then, I have worked at the intersection of science and advocacy, primarily in forests, conservation, climate, and renewable energy.

In my free time, I compete in dog sports, which led me to build K9 Course Builder. I also write books, make art, and dabble in long-distance cycling.