About me
Mark Ruder is Director of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) at the University of Georgia. Founded in 1957 to investigate diseases of deer, today SCWDS is a regional wildlife health cooperative comprised of 18 state/territorial wildlife management agencies and federal agency partners. The mission of SCWDS is centered on research, service and instruction related to understanding diseases of wildlife and their impact on populations, as well as the role wildlife play in diseases of domestic animals and humans. Mark is broadly engaged in wildlife health research, surveillance, and mortality investigations and manages the core services SCWDS provides to member agencies. Much of his research is focused on deer health and disease, in particular hemorrhagic disease, CWD, and the many other diseases of deer.
