Sandra Durán, Assistant Professor
Sandra.Duran@colostate.edu
I am originally from Colombia, and thus I have always been fascinated by the incredible biodiversity present in tropical regions. I am interested in understanding how plant biodiversity changes across environmental gradients, and how those changes affect ecosystem processes and functions. Specifically, my work focuses on developing new methods and elaborating theory for how functional traits can be used to “scale up” from individual to communities and ecosystems.
Aylin Barreras, PhD student
aylin.barreras@colostate.edu
I am a Mexican PhD student in the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology. I have an undergraduate degree in environmental science and a masters in natural resources management. I chose this career path motivated by my deep curiosity for understanding how plants function. I am fascinated by the science behind the droplets of morning dew on top of tree leaves. For my PhD, I am examining seasonal tree water relations and the tradeoffs between water use and carbon dynamics.
Alyssa Mathews, master student
alyssa.mathews@colostate.edu (co-supervised with Heidi Hausermann)
I was born and raised on Hawaii Island. Growing up with a strong connection to the community and nature instilled a strong sense of environmental stewardship. I am passionate about applying spatial tools to tackle environmental challenges. For my undergraduate degree I used remote sensing to monitor local sea-level rise on Hawai’i Island, and currently for my master degree, I am utilizing fine-scale spatial data and high-resolution satellite imagery to assess land-uses/cover changes associated with goldmining in Ghana.
Heira Luque, visiting master student from ITSON, Mexico
heira.luque207737@potros.itson.edu.mx
I was born in Mexico, where the close relationship between people, land, and water inspired my academic path. My undergrad was in Environmental Sciences Engineering and now I-m pursuing a Master’s in Natural Resources. My research is looking at soil moisture dynamics using cosmic rays and eddy covariance data to understand water dynamics under environmental changes. In my summer visit, I evaluated whether leaf reflectance can predict changes in the photosynthetic capacity (Amax) of conifer tree species.
Ava Tolbert, undergraduate honors thesis student
Ava.Tolbert@colostate.edu
I grew up in North Carolina and the California Bay Area, and have always felt a deep connection to plants, insects, and nature. I’m pursuing a bachelors degree in Restoration Ecology, with a minor in Entomology, Plant Health, and Botany. I am particularly drawn to sustainable agriculture, plant-pollinator relationships, and plant diversity. In my honor thesis I am developing a habitat suitability framework to guide restoration strategies for Dirca occidentalis, an endangered species endemic to California.
Kyla Wolffee, undergraduate student
kwolffe@colostate.edu
I was born and raised in Avon, Colorado, where I gained a deep fascination and appreciation for the outdoors. Through a combination of natural resource internships, community outreach, and my studies at CSU, I have developed valuable experience in both fieldwork and laboratory settings. I am particularly excited to deepen my skills in GIS and dendrology, or “treesearch” as my peers have lovingly called it. I am currently working on evaluating how tree wood density changes over time (12 years) in three conifer species of subalpine forests.
Margaret Monaghan, undergraduate student
Margaret.Monaghan@colostate.edu (co-supervised with Ed Gallo-Cajiao)
I grew up along the coast of Michigan’s Great Lakes and have enjoyed the outdoors from a young age. When not in the classroom, you can find me shredding Colorado’s ski slopes or climbing the next mountain. I am a student from Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, and have a wide range of interests in conservation and ecology, though my real passion lies in using Geospatial Science to combat environmental issues. I am conducting an independent study focusing on evaluating patterns of country-endemic species distribution.
Kate Laidlaw, undergraduate student
Kate.Laidlaw@colostate.edu (co-supervised with Ed Gallo-Cajiao)
I grew up in Michigan, where I was surrounded by highly diverse vegetation and wildlife. By witnessing these populations allowed me to recognize the complex relationships in natural systems. This led me to study Ecosystem Science, where I have focused on understanding how populations within systems interact with one another, and how these interactions change across landscapes. I am interested in answering these questions in freshwater systems. I am conducting an independent study focusing on conservation biogeography.
Traits and Ecosystems Lab 