Alumni

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Dr. Abraham Borker

Assistant Teaching Professor

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

UC Santa Cruz

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Crystal Zamora
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Flavia Oliveira, PhD

Consultant

World Resources Institute

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Dr. Roxanne Beltran

Assistant professor

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

UC Santa Cruz

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Paolo Quadri Barba: PhD

Conservation Director, Sky Island Alliance

Research including forest ecology and global environmental change processes in mountain ecosystems, as well as examining the local socioeconomic impacts of protected areas in Mexico.

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Bronwen Stanford: PhD

Investigating restoration and mitigation outcomes for people and the environment, and the feasibility of landscape-scale management approaches.

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Judy Straub:  PhD

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program Coordinator

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Clare Aslan: Smith Postdoctoral Fellow of the Society for Conservation Biology

The potential contribution of non-native pollinators and seed dispersers to native plant conservation. Website

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Sarah Skikne: PhD

Adaptation of conservation practices in light of range shifts induced by climate change.

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Amy Wolf: Postdoctoral Researcher

Serpentine grasslands as a model system to assess impacts of non-random species loss on ecosystem function. Website

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Holly Jones: Visiting Scholar 2010-2012

Ecosystem-based Adaptation strategies for climate change to maximize the well-being of both people and ecosystems. Website

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Jae Pasari: PhD

Utilizing field-based experiments, large observational studies, and empirically-based modeling to investigate the interactions between global change, invasive species, and native species diversity.

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Connor Morozumi: Laboratory Manager

Enhancing research across projects and providing in-house analytical chemistry. Website

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Joanna Nelson: PhD

Exploring interacting global changes at the land-sea margin, specifically sea-level rise and nitrogen pollution in central California estuaries, and effects on ecosystem functions and services. Website

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Paul Selmants: Post-doc 2008-2011

Investigating the impacts of rising temperature on carbon storage and allocation in Hawaiian tropical wet montane forests. Website

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Leah Samberg: PhD

Contracting with the Nature Conservancy on a project assessing the ability of conservation initiatives in developing countries to create economic benefits for local communities.

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Sara Moore: Specialist, Climate Change Adaptation 2010-2011

Development of ecosystem adaptation strategies for California. Sara’s climate change blog.

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Kris Hulvey: PhD

Restoring invaded grasslands with native competitors.

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Dena Vallano: Post-doc 2009-2011

Working within the Office of Research and Development’s Innovation Team to promote cross-cutting research that will lead to long-term sustainability of human health and the environment.

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Daniel Hernández: Post-doc 2007-08

Serpentine grassland biodiversity losses, grazing and nitrogen pollution interactions. Website

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Blake Suttle: Post-doc 2007-08

Managing complex California grasslands under a changing climate.

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Getachew Eshete: PhD, Post-doc

Human-environment interactions in Ethiopian southwest ecosystems, with emphasis on ecosystem goods and services vital to agricultural sustainability and livelihoods on the one hand, and deforestation and habitat modification affecting plant biodiversity patterns on the other. Website

Nicole Heller, Zavaleta Lab 2024
Nicole Heller: Post-doc 2006-07

Synthesis of ecological recommendations for conservation under climate change. Website

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Ryan Cheung

Undergraduate researcher

Worked as an intern for CAMINO under the Sierra Nevada Gray Crowned Rosy Finch project and contributed as an intern for the Cultural Burning Tule Wetland project.

UC Santa Cruz Land Acknowledgement

“The land from which we base our work is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.”