Tyler Brasington B.S. '17
Tyler Brasington named 2025 UW-Whitewater Outstanding Recent Alumnus
Written by Dave Fidlin | Photos by Craig Schreiner and submitted
Tyler Brasington’s journey toward self-discovery and learning his purpose in life took a few twists and turns. But he is thankful for the myriad of disparate experiences that led him to a fulfilling calling at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
“It’s really important to know what you don’t like, in order to understand what you do like,” said Brasington, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. “All of the opportunities that you have — jump at them, because you need to experience everything holistically.”
Brasington, who has been serving as a bear management ranger with the National Park Service at Grand Teton since 2019, said UW-Whitewater and its resources gave him the ability to dabble, tinker and ultimately discover what professional path he wanted to take.
“If you make your passion your profession and enjoy what you’re doing for work, you’ll never work a day in your life,” the Hartland native said. “I’m certainly blessed with that opportunity out here. When I wake up in the morning, and I’m heading out, it doesn’t even feel like I’m going to work. Every day brings something new. It’s a pretty special place.”
This spring, Brasington is the recipient of the 2025 UW-Whitewater Outstanding Recent Alumni Award. The recognition is given to graduates no more than 15 years after receipt of a degree from UW-Whitewater.
Lead Park Ranger Tyler Brasington, second to the right, in Grand Teton National Park, which is part of the National Park Service, in 2023. (Submitted photo)
When he first enrolled at UW-Whitewater, Brasington envisioned majoring in engineering, physics or exercise science, based on skills he excelled at and his athletic pursuits in high school. He left the university after his freshman year to enlist in the Marine Corps, but ultimately decided that was not a path he wanted to pursue.
A sabbatical at a point of transition that Brasington describes as a “crossroads” in his life proved to be a pivotal point. He spent time in Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier national parks during a months-long backpacking trip.
“I saw my very first grizzly bear during that point in time, and that stuck with me,” Brasington said.
The experience helped him gain a reconnection with his formative years, growing up near the vast natural habitat spread across Central and Eastern Pennsylvania.
“It was one unique moment in my life, and it flipped the switch and caused me to really think back.”
Today, Brasington says he is grateful to have the opportunity to educate people about an animal he holds great admiration for.
“Bears are a very special species to me,” Brasington said. “I think there’s a lot, culturally, about bears that is significant — especially their roots with Native Americans in this country.”
During this chapter in his life, Brasington drew on the wisdom and inspiration from a family member who had dispensed advice and wisdom in his formative years.
“My uncle was a park ranger for a number of years with the National Park Service at Grand Canyon,” Brasington said. “He had always told me, ‘You should always think about the park service. You like being outside and engaging in those sorts of activities.’ It was always in the back of my mind.”
When he returned to UW-Whitewater after the sabbatical, Brasington said a number of faculty assisted him in solidifying his major. Biology professor George Clokey was among the influential people he crossed paths with as he dug deeper into his program.
“He was running a travel study out to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Brasington said. “It happened to be the ecosystem that I had just recreated in. That really sank a hook. As I got to know George, I started to really appreciate the decision that I had made.”
John Frye, associate professor of geography, geology and environmental sciences, is another UW-Whitewater faculty member who has had, and continues to have, an influence on Brasington and his approach to his work.
“I think Tyler exemplifies what it means to be a Warhawk,” said Frye. “Since his time as a student until now he has continually sought out learning experiences to better himself and his profession. Tyler also truly cares about giving back to UW-Whitewater. He has been a guest speaker for my students in my National Parks field courses, he has provided job advice to our soon-to-be graduates seeking positions with the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management, he has come back to campus to talk to students about his journey and instilling in them to follow your passions, and, personally, he has served as a guide to help me build my travel course to the National Parks.”
Tyler Brasington, center, talks to UW-Whitewater students at Grand Teton National Park during a travel study for two courses — Introduction to Environmental Science in National Parks and Advanced Environmental Science in National Parks — led by faculty member John Frye in the summer of 2024. (Photo submitted by John Frye)
“Whitewater did so much for me while I was there that I’ve always been really passionate about giving back,” Brasington said. “If John Frye brings his class to Yellowstone, yes, let’s meet, let’s set up a time. I’d love to speak to the students.”
Networking within UW-Whitewater and beyond yielded undergraduate research opportunities, and in turn, presented a seasonal job as a fisheries and aquatic/invasive species technician at Grand Teton. Brasington also took part in numerous volunteer opportunities.
As a result of his in-depth work through UW-Whitewater, Brasington has numerous publications in books and scientific journals to his credit. He also has participated in numerous regional, national and international conferences.
Tyler Brasington was able to participate in UW-Whitewater’s Hired Before Graduation campaign, which celebrates graduating students who have accepted a job or were admitted into a graduate program, in May 2017, when he was hired as a biological science technician at the National Park Service in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. (UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)
In 2017, Brasington was hired as a biological science technician at the National Park Service in Grand Teton National Park. In his time with the NPS, Brasington has received a number of accolades for his contributions, including the National Park Service Star Award, which he received six times, and the USGS Director’s Achievement Award, which is the United States Geological Survey’s performance award.
As Brasington sees it, his job with the NPS is about service, whether it is in the form of educating novice visitors or assisting current-day college students who are following a professional track similar to the one he took a decade ago.
“What I’m really most passionate and proud of is really passing on the knowledge that I have gained,” Brasington said. “I look at myself as being a sponge. You soak in everything around you, and you build your own unique working style as an individual. For me, all along, it’s been passing along what I soak up and giving that to other people.”
Brasington’s spirit of service toward UW-Whitewater has been evident in a number of ways. Despite living hundreds of miles away, he maintains his Warhawk connections by speaking periodically to current-day students about his professional experiences through Frye’s travel study course and sharing his experiences on campus. In December 2024 he presented “The Science of Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bears: My Journey from Undergraduate Research to Grizzly Bear Conservation” at Summers Auditorium on the UW-Whitewater campus, an appearance sponsored by the university’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
Tyler Brasington gave a talk in Summers Auditorium in the University Center at UW-Whitewater in 2024. (Photo submitted by John Frye)
The ties he continues to maintain with campus are a natural extension of his gratitude and spirit of giving back.
“I think Whitewater is unique,” Brasington said. “I would put them up against the top-tier Ivy League schools, because the instructors who are passionate about what they are doing. They share their knowledge, and they allow critical thinking to take place.”
