Dr. Patrick Gonzalez

September 17-18, 2025
Webpage
Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
UC Berkeley

Patrick Gonzalez is a climate change scientist and forest ecologist at the University of California, Berkeley. He advances science-based action to halt human-caused climate change through research on ecosystems, wildfire, and carbon solutions and assistance to resource managers and policymakers. He previously served as Principal Climate Change Scientist of the U.S. National Park Service and Assistant Director for Climate and Biodiversity of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He has served as a lead author for five reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the science panel awarded a share of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr. James Bever

October 22-23, 2025

Bever/Schultz Lab
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The University of Kansas

James Bever studies the ecology and evolution of plant-microbe interactions by integrating theory with experiments.  He pioneered the plant-soil feedback experimental and theoretical approach. His work identified critical roles of soil pathogens and mutualists in the structure and function of terrestrial communities, and the value of reintroduction of native soil mutualists for restoration of native plant communities.  He is currently a Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Regina Baucom

November 19-20, 2025
The Baucom Lab
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Michigan


I am a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan and I study plant evolutionary ecology and evolutionary genetics. My research examines how plants adapt to environmental pressures, such as herbicide exposure and global change. Notably, I investigate the genetic mechanisms behind herbicide resistance in weedy species like the common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) and explore the ecological consequences of herbicide use on plant-insect interactions. Overall, my research program bridges evolutionary theory with agricultural and environmental challenges to provide insight into rapid adaptation and eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Dr. Lauren Ponisio

December 10-11, 2025
Ponisio Lab 
Department of Biology
University of Oregon

The Ponisio lab focuses on understanding how species interactions maintain species diversity and how we can harness these processes to manage and restore diversity in human-modified habitats. Understanding the processes that maintain diversity can help to predict population and community vulnerability to global change. The first core ecological theme of our work is to study community assembly through the lens of species interactions, examining how mutualistic and parasitic relationships shape and are shaped by community characteristics. The second core theme is to examine how species interactions affect the vulnerability of populations and communities to global change. A new direction in my research focuses on developing non-lethal bee monitoring techniques using automated sensor systems and computer vision.

Dr. Noah Fierer

January 21-22, 2026
Fierer Lab
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Colorado at Boulder

I am a microbial ecologist, and my research group focuses on microbes living in a range of environments, including those bacteria and fungi living inside our homes, in soil, on plants, and in the atmosphere. We use various approaches, including DNA sequencing and high-throughput cultivation, to explore the diversity and structure of microbial communities, build a trait-based understanding of microbial life, and examine how microorganisms influence the health of ecosystems, plants, and animals (including humans).

Dr. Libby Metcalf

February 18-19, 2026
Human Dimensions Lab
WA Franke College of Forestry and Conservation
University of Montana

Dr. Libby Metcalf is the Dean and Joel Meier Distinguished Professor of Wildland Management at the
W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana. She holds a dual Ph.D.
from Penn State in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management and the Human Dimensions of Natural
Resources and the Environment. Her research focuses on recreation management, wildlife issues, and
social-ecological systems, using a social-psychological lens. She often works on projects related to river
restoration, outdoor recreation, and wildlife management. A committed teacher, Dr. Metcalf emphasizes
field-based learning and close mentoring. Outside of work, she’s an avid runner and outdoor enthusiast
who loves skiing, biking, and trekking across Montana with her family.

Dr. Laura Prugh

March 4-5, 2026
Prugh Lab
Department of Environmental and Forest Sciences
University of Washington

Research in my lab examines how species interactions such as facilitation, predation, and competition jointly determine the responses of wildlife communities to global change. We use novel combinations of techniques including animal tracking technology (e.g., GPS collars), winter snow tracking, non-invasive genotyping, next-generation sequencing, motion-triggered cameras, remote sensing, and mathematical modeling to examine spatially explicit interactions among species of interest. My current projects in Alaska, Washington, and Norway address topics such as climate change impacts on wildlife, effects of large carnivores on ungulates and smaller carnivores outside protected areas, and endangered species recovery.

Dr. Paul Koch

April 15-16, 2026
Earth and Planetary Sciences
UC Santa Cruz

I am a paleobiologist who explores questions about extinction and evolution in vertebrates, often
using forensic chemistry to assess the ecology and physiology of individual organisms, extant or
extinct. Earlier in my career, I focused on the extinction of megafauna at the end of the last ice
age and the pulse of evolutionary and ecological change triggered by early Cenozoic global
warming. Of late, I’ve focused on gleaning information useful for conservation from fossils of
extant species and the extinct megafauna they interacted with them. This work also includes
study of the role of the gut microbiome in animal nutrition.