Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSML) provide infrastructure, resources, and opportunities
essential to our understanding of the natural world, the conservation of biodiversity, and the education and empowerment of young field scientists and students. These place-based institutions are vital components of
the global scientific infrastructure.
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Executive Director - UCSB Natural Reserve System (2025-)
The UCSB NRS is a network of seven research field stations across California’s ranging ecosystems. The UCSB NRS empowers the study and stewardship of natural systems by supporting education and research at our seven protected lands. The UCSB NRS’s field stations stretch from Cambria to Carpinteria and the Channel Islands to the Eastern Sierras. The UCSB NRS manages 50,000+ acres and serves 12,000+ scientists and students each year with over 5,000 publications and 500 student theses resulting from work done at our seven Reserves. As Executive Director, I lead and am responsible for the UCSB NRS by working with an incredible team of 50+ staff and 200+ interns, docents, and volunteers across the state to fulfill our mission and serve science, education, and the environment. |
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President - Organization of Biological Field Stations (2026 & 2027)
The Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in the US. OBFS represents over 1,200 field stations across the globe, bringing together leaders and users to transform field science and address global challenges. As President of the Board, I serve as the principal officer of the organization. Board of Directors - OBFS (2023-) I have served on the Board for OBFS since 2023. From 2023-2025, I also served as Chair of the OBFS Outreach & Communications Committee with the goal to connect communities with their local FSML and to connect FSML leaders with their peers. As Chair, I also led the organization's advocacy agenda, highlighting the strategic importance and cost effective utility of FSMLs for national and global scientific and educational goals. To boost FSML's recognition for the research they support, we (1) provided FSMLs a template for requiring their scientists to recognize their station in publications and presentations and (2) worked directly with top scientific journals to require that authors recognize the FSMLs where research was conducted or data/resources were used. As a result of these efforts, 30+ publishers and individual journals now require FSMLs to be properly and standardly recognized either in the methods or acknowledgements sections! |
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Board of Directors - American Institute of Biological Sciences (2026-2029)
I serve on the Board for the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). AIBS is a US nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the use of science to inform decision making for the benefit of the science and society. AIBS's staff work to achieve this mission by publishing the peer-reviewed journal BioScience, by advocating for federal investment in STEM, and by collaborating with scientists, students, and institutions to advance public policy, education, and the public understanding of science. |
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Centennial Strategic Planning Committee - Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (2022-2024)
I was part of the collaborative team that crafted RMBL's Centennial Strategy. The plan outlines the field station's vision and commitment to discovery through place-based research and new technologies, to institutional resilience and stability for the organization's next one hundred years, and to foster belonging, innovation, and opportunity. Research Committee - Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (2024-2027) I serve on RMBL's Research Committee tasked with reviewing proposed research and other projects with the three goals of ensuring the long-term success of RMBL as a world-class institution for research and education in alpine field science, to minimize conflict between researchers, and ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. Animal Care Committee - Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (2024-) I serve on RMBL's Animal Care Committee tasked to help scientists and students maximize the welfare of their study organisms and to protect the wildlife and biodiversity of the Rocky Mountains. In 2026, I am serving as the Committee's Chair. Instructor - Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (2024) I developed and taught Rocky Mountain Wildlife, an undergraduate field course exploring the natural history, ecology, behavior, evolution, and conservation of wild vertebrates in the Rocky Mountains. With a focus on adaptations for living at high elevation, the course leveraged the unique science and scientists at RMBL to give students hands-on experience with research methods, critical thinking, and science communication. |