Sustainability Leadership Fellowship Cohort: 2013-2014

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability

Research Summary: I’ve studied trees as long as I can remember; first as a climber seeking the highest possible perch, and now as a PhD student studying the impacts of climate change. My research lets me explore the forests of Rocky Mountain National Park where I measure trees to track their growth and survival. Mountain forests are thought to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and some tree species may vanish from parts of their range as the climate becomes increasingly unsuitable. My goal is to better understand how climate influences which species grow where so that we can create management solutions that maintain healthy forests in the future.