Mary (she/her) is a postdoctoral scholar interested in restoration and plant community ecology. She graduated with a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles in October 2023, where she studied how changes in water availability affect competition and coexistence in an annual grassland, in Dr. Nathan Kraft’s lab. She has joined the Dryland Ecology and Management lab to work on climate adaptive restoration strategies using functional trait-based approaches. In her free time Mary enjoys hiking, biking, watching NBA basketball, weaving, and hanging out with her dog Bambam. Email Mary | Website

Amy (she/her) is a Ph.D. student interested in restoration ecology focusing on plant recruitment and understanding socio-ecological factors of restoration. Amy graduated from the University of Arizona (UA) with an MS in Rangeland Sciences where she was supported by the Fulbright Foreign Degree Program. Her MS thesis research focused on using a community assembly filter model as a platform to explore grassland restoration. Amy’s dissertation research at CSU focuses on restoration, seed mix design, invasive species management, and social aspects of ecological restoration. In her spare time, Amy enjoys watching movies, cooking, hanging out with friends over chai, and calling her family! Email Amy

Ember (she/her) is a PhD student interested in restoration ecology, environmental justice, and the food-energy-water systems (FEWS) nexus. Ember graduated from University of Michigan with her M.S. in Conservation Ecology and Environmental Justice in 2022, where she studied food web dynamics and agroecosystem resilience in Dr. Ivette Perfecto's lab. She is supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and is a trainee in the InTERFEWS Graduate Program at CSU. Ember’s doctoral research explores climate-adaptive restoration strategies using the RestoreNet framework in Southwestern Colorado and long-term monitoring of restoration plots in the Piceance Basin. Ember also works as a birth doula and crisis advocate. In her spare time, Ember enjoys walking with her partner and their dog, knitting, gardening, and sitting in the sunshine. Email Ember

Emily (she/her) is a PhD student interested in community engaged restoration ecology. Emily holds an undergraduate degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. She is particularly interested in climate adapted restoration in arid environments. Her research will focus on innovative seeding techniques to improve germination and establishment of native plant communities in collaboration with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Southwest Colorado. Prior to joining the Dryland Ecology and Management Lab at CSU, Emily worked with various nonprofits across the Western U.S. in the conservation field. When she isn’t working, Emily can be found doing pottery, gardening, cooking, playing with her puppy, Fiddle, and enjoys nearly all outdoor activities. Email Emily

Nora (she/her) is a Ph.D. student studying restoration ecology, with a particular interest in the role of plant and soil relationships in rangeland restoration. Nora graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with an MS in Environmental Sciences and Management where she studied plant and soil interactions. Her thesis was on biocrust plant relationships in arid California grasslands and the role of management and soil physical properties in restoration outcomes in California coastal rangelands. Nora’s doctoral research at CSU focuses on trait-based approaches to restoration in arid landscapes throughout the Western United States. In her spare time, Nora enjoys looking at flowers, skiing, hiking, and hanging out with her cat Fat Max. Email Nora

Abbie (she/her) is a Ph.D. student interested in the community ecology of disturbed plant communities. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2023 with bachelor's degrees in plant biology and environmental studies. Before grad school, Abbie did restoration work in Arches and Yosemite National Parks. Her research will look at using plant functional traits to facilitate forb restoration in Colorado drylands. In her spare time, Abbie enjoys finding new coffee shops, crocheting, and exploring the outdoors.

Nic (he/him) is a recent Colorado State University graduate in the Restoration Ecology program. He joined the Dryland Ecology and Management lab in the summer of 2025 and has been helping out with various field and lab duties since then, primarily assisting with trait-based restoration research in dryland environments. He is the proud owner of four cats with his wife, Angie, and is an avid fan of all things nerdy. Just bring up One Piece or Skyrim if you want him to talk your ear off!

Tess (she/her) is a Chevron Undergraduate Fellow in Forb Restoration with an interest in the role of soil biota in the bioremediation and restoration of disturbed ecosystems. She is a student pursuing a double major in Biology with a Botany concentration and Forest and Rangeland Stewardship with a Forest Biology concentration. Tess currently works with Ph.D. student Abbie Ridder on research focused on restoring forb species in dryland ecosystems. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys drawing and painting, attending local live music events, spending time with her millipede Ida, and going for walks.

Yuqi (he/him) is an undergraduate student at Colorado State University majoring in Restoration Ecology. He has volunteered for Hustai National Park, Mongolia to study the home range of Przewalski’s horse and worked with Manu Biosphere Reserve in the Amazon Rainforest to monitor the local population of macaws and parrots. His unconditional love for grasslands led him to the Dryland Ecology and Management lab, where he works as an undergraduate research technician. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, exploring local restaurants, and trying very hard to stay fit.