Current students in the program
Andrea (Andi) Baker
Pronouns: she/her
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: I am interested in atmospheric mercury and how this research contributes to the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
Email Address: andreabaker@unr.edu
Lab URL: Sarrah M. Dunham-Cheatham Lab
Taylor Brown
Pronouns: she/her
Status: Doctor of Philosophy
Research Interests/Bio: I am interested in modeling tree demographics at a landscape scale using geospatial data and machine learning techniques. I received a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Geographic Information Systems at Eastern Connecticut State University. I am interested in using spatial modeling to predict the impacts of global change on vulnerable ecosystems. She is working on a California Air Resources Board (CARB) project to develop a simplified quantification tool for calculating forest health based on fuel-reduction activities.
Email Address: taylorrbrown@unr.edu
Lab URL: Global Environmental Analysis and Remote Sensing Lab
Kevin Salvador Charpentier
Pronouns: he/him
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: I'm interested in forest complexity and progressing management strategies that increase persistence potential. I graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a B.S. in Forest Ecology and Management.
Email Address: kcharpentier@unr.edu
Lab URL: The Bisbing Lab
Elena Cox
Pronouns: she/her
Status: Doctor of Philosophy
Research Interests/Bio: I am interested in how severity, management, and climate change affect ecosystem response to fire. My research examines soil heating during wildfires and the effects of wildfires on soil health and microbial processes.
Email Address: elenacox@unr.edu
Lab URL: Hanan Lab
Michelle DesLauriers
Pronouns: she/her
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: Studying the drivers and implications of insect defoliator outbreaks on forest health in southeast Alaska. Her research is taking her to Juneau, where she is studying the impacts of hemlock sawfly (Neodiprion tsugae) and western blackheaded budworm (Acleris gloverana) outbreaks for forest health in southeast Alaska.
Email Address: mdeslauriers@unr.edu
Lab URL: The Bisbing Lab
Jenna DiFolco
Pronouns: she/her
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: I am interested in large mammal ecology, specifically population ecology, habitat selection, and predator-prey interactions. My research focuses on Hart Mountain bighorn sheep in Southeast Oregon, where I’ll be monitoring population recovery, lamb recruitment, and forage quality.
Email Address: jdifolco@unr.edu
Lab URL: Kelley Stewart Lab
Alanna Garcia
Pronouns: she/her
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: I am passionate about mammal ecology and the ways in which high-quality research can illuminate patterns in animal movement, behavior, and resource selection. My research centers on black bear ecology in Nevada, with a particular focus on habitat selection and the effects of the expanding urban interface.
Email Address:alannagarcia@unr.edu
Lab URL: Kelley Stewart Lab
Cami Lee
Pronouns: She/her
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: My research interests are in the impacts of soil nutrients and properties on cheatgrass after wildfires. I graduated from UC Davis in June 2024 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Management with an emphasis in Soils and Biogeochemistry.
Email Address: camilee@unr.edu
Eddy Kapp
Pronouns: She/her
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: I am interested in researching native desert fish and their interactions with non-native fish and other aquatic life.
Email Address: ekapp@unr.edu
Lab URL: Freshwater Fish Ecology Lab
Khushi
Pronouns: She/her
Status: Doctor of Philosophy
Research Interests/Bio: My research is focused on a simple question: how can we grow more alfalfa crop with less water? Using techniques such as crop modeling and yield forecasting, I develop smarter water-management strategies for alfalfa grown in arid and semi-arid regions, where every drop counts.
Email Address: khushil@unr.edu
Hanna Nakamura
Pronouns: She/her
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: My research interests are focused on large mammal ecology, particularly habitat use and movement ecology. My graduate research examines the effects of utility-scale solar development on mule deer movement and habitat use in south-central Oregon.
Email Address: hgrock@unr.edu
Lab: Stewart Lab
Tyler Pelletier
Pronouns: He/him
Status: Doctor of Philosophy
Research Interests/Bio: My research focuses on how landscape, climate, and microsites influence the regeneration, growth, and mortality of endangered conifers in the Sierra Nevada. I am interested in providing relevant research on the problems faced by forest managers in the Intermountain West.
Email: tpelletier@unr.edu
Lab Website: Hall Cushman's Lab
Elise Pletcher
Pronouns: She/her
Status: Doctor of Philosophy
Research Interests/Bio: Using methods in population and geospatial ecology to study landscape-scale shifts in the distribution and abundance of pinyon-juniper woodlands in the Intermountain West.
Email Address: epletcher@unr.edu
Lab Website: Shriver Quantitative Plant Ecology Lab
Alexis Daniela Rodriguez
Pronouns: she/her
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: My research interests involve using dendrochronology to study tree growth patterns and forest dynamics in the Tahoe region, focusing on ecoclimatology and its implications for forest health.
Email Address: alexisdrodriguez@unr.edu
Lab URL: Biondi's DendroLab
Jillian Schuyler
Pronouns: She/her
Status: Master of Science
Research Interests/Bio: Climate change effects on ecology and frontline communities, statistical ecology, habitat restoration, and marine conservation.
Email Address: Jschuyler@nevada.unr.edu
Lab URL: Perry Williams
Chris Smith
Pronouns: he/him
Status: Doctor of Philosophy
Research Interests/Bio: My research has focused primarily on birds, mammals, and plants and has taken me to many countries, including Peru, Mongolia, Australia, New Zealand, and Namibia. I am probably overly obsessed with pika, and love backpacking, trail running, birding, tracking, and teaching natural history to people of all ages.
Email Address: chrissmith@unr.edu
Lab URL: Applied Population Ecology Lab
Jordan Zabrecky
Pronouns: she/her
Status: Doctor of Philosophy
Research Interests/Bio: Broadly, I am interested in the intersection of water quality, ecological & public health, and environmental data science. My dissertation research focuses on understanding the timing of benthic cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin production in rivers of Northern California to develop forecasting models. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in the Geological Sciences. During undergrad, I realized my interest in water quality and freshwater science while researching anthropogenic gadolinium in local streams.
Email Address: jzabrecky@unr.edu
Lab URL: Blaszczak Watershed and Aquatic Ecosystem Ecology Lab
