Short biographies of participants

Satie Airame is an Assistant Dean in the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara. At NCEAS, she was a leader of the “Ocean Ecosystem Management” working group and has participated in several more working groups, most recently a Distributed Graduate Seminar: “The role of Marine Protected Areas in Ecosystem-based Management” and the “Marine Debris” working group.

Priyanga Amarasekare is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles where her research focuses on mechanisms that maintain biodiversity. Priyanga was an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow, served on the Science Advisory Board, and also participated in numerous working groups including “Evolving Metacommunities” and “Red Flags and Extinction Risk.”

Sandy Andelman is Vice President and Director of the Tropical Ecology, Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network, based at Conservation International. Sandy was NCEAS Deputy Director from 1999-2005, the leader of multiple major initiatives and working groups, including “Extinction Risk” and “Designing and Assessing the Viability of Nature Reserve Systems,” and she has participated in numerous other activities at NCEAS over the years.

Jill Baron is an Ecosystem Ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, a Senior Research Ecologist with the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University, and Co-Director of the USGS Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis. Jill contributed to NCEAS by serving as a member of the Science Advisory Board from 2005-2008.

Nancy Baron is the Ocean Science Outreach Director for COMPASS and also the lead communications trainer for the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program. In addition to being an active member of the NCEAS community as a Center Associate since 2004, Nancy has led numerous COMPASS Training Workshops and interacted with many working groups, particularly those focused on marine issues.

Marissa Baskett is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science & Policy at the University of California, Davis. Her research interests are at the interface between theoretical evolutionary ecology and conservation biology. Marissa was an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow and participated in the “Designing Marine Reserves” and “Coral Reefs of the Future” working groups.

Jim Bever, Professor of Biology at Indiana University, researches ecology and evolution of plants and their associated fungi. At NCEAS, Jim was Chair of the Science Advisory Board, leader of a Distributed Graduate Seminar “Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Network,” and has participated in many working groups including “Mycorrhizal Management” and “Biotic Interactions and Invasions.”

Ottar Bjornstad is a Professor of Entomology, Biology, and Statistics at Penn State where he researches population ecology and dynamics. Ottar’s affiliation with NCEAS began as a Postdoctoral Fellow. He has also been a member of the Science Advisory Board, and has participated in multiple working groups including “Diseases and Conservation” and “Seasonality of Infectious Diseases.”

David Bowman is a Professor of Forest Ecology in the School of Plant Science at the University of Tasmania. His research is focused on forests, with strong expertise in fire ecology. At NCEAS, David was leader of the “Pyrogeography and Climate Change” and “What is Fire?” working groups.

Cherie Briggs is Professor and Chair in the Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Cherie served as a member of the Science Advisory Board and has participated in many NCEAS working groups, most recently in “Real Time Environment Analytical Processing” and “Parasites and Food Webs.” She chairs the steering committee for this symposium.

Jim Brown is a Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of New Mexico. Jim was one of the lead authors on the 1993 report that laid out a vision for a “National Center for Ecological Synthesis” that preceded NSF’s call for center proposals. At NCEAS, Jim served on the Science Advisory Board, was a two-time Sabbatical Fellow, led the “Foundations and Future of Biogeography” working group, and participated in numerous groups including “Unifying Biodiversity Theories” and “Insights from Exotics.”

Mark Brzezinski is Director of the Marine Science Institute and Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Mark researches phytoplankton ecology and physiology, phytoplankton cell cycles and elemental cycling in the ocean.

Lauren Buckley is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. At NCEAS, Lauren was a Postdoctoral Fellow, leader of the “Species Range Dynamics” working group, and participant in other working groups such as “Niche Conservatism,” “Environment and Organisms” and “Marine Climate Impacts.”

Mark Burgman is a Professor of Environmental Science in the School of Botany at the University of Melbourne, and also Director of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Risk Analysis. At NCEAS, Mark was a Sabbatical Fellow, leader of the “Extinction Risk” working group, and participant in several other groups including “Conservation Priorities” and “Phenological Change in Tundra Plants.”

Marc Cadotte is an Assistant Professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at University of Toronto, Scarborough where his research ranges from community ecology to conservation biology. At NCEAS, Marc was a Postdoctoral Fellow and participated in the “Ecophylogenetics” working group.

Kai Chan is the Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. Kai has been a working group leader for “Ecosystem-Based Management and Cultural Ecosystem Services” and participant in several other groups focused on marine conservation and management.

Gary Cherr is Director of the Bodega Marine Laboratory and Professor in the Departments of Environmental Toxicology and Nutrition at the University of California, Davis. His research includes diverse issues of environmental stress and toxicology in the marine environment. At NCEAS, Gary is a leader of the “Gulf Ecotoxicology” working group.

Richard Church is Professor of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he specializes in the analysis of problems defined over space and time. At NCEAS, Rick led the “Conservation Strategies” working group and also participated in the “BioDiversity” and “Decision Support Tool” groups.

Elsa Cleland is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution at the University of California, San Diego. Elsa was an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow, leader of the Distributed Graduate Seminar “Functional Ecology” and has participated in several working groups including “Phenology and Climate” and “Trophic Structure Comparisons.”

Scott Collins is a Professor of Biology at the University of New Mexico and Principal Investigator on the Sevilleta Long-term Ecological Research program. He is a plant community ecologist with much of his research focused on disturbance such as fire. Scott has been involved with NCEAS since its earliest days, in many roles, and most recently was a leader of the Distributed Graduate Seminar “Functional Ecology.”

Chuck Cook, a 30-year veteran of The Nature Conservancy, is a marine and fisheries conservation practitioner. At NCEAS, Chuck led the “Nearshore Finfish” working group, and has been a participant in various activities at NCEAS including the “Sustainable Fisheries” working group.

Howard Cornell is Chair and Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis. Howard’s contributions to NCEAS include leading the “Predators, Pathogens, and Parasitoids”, “Energy-diversity Relationships”, “Biodiversity and Speciation” and “Niche Conservatism” working groups, as well as participating in several other groups.

Kathy Cottingham is Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Dartmouth College. Kathy’s association with NCEAS began as a Postdoctoral Fellow, followed by her participation in numerous working groups including “Body Size in Ecology,” “Community Dynamics” and “Trophic Structure Comparisons.” Most recently, Kathy served on the NCEAS Science Advisory Board and on the steering committee for this symposium.

Steven Courtney is Director of RESOLVE’s Collaborative Science Program. He has been active as a biologist in both academia and resource management for over 30 years, frequently at the interface of science and decision making. Steven was in residence at NCEAS as a Center Associate from 2009-10, leader of the “Habitat Conservation Plan Report” and participant in the “Habitat Conservation Planning” group.

Frank Davis is current Director of NCEAS and a Professor of landscape ecology and conservation planning at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. Frank was NCEAS’ first Deputy Director, serving from 1995-1999, with continued involvement in many facets of NCEAS through the years, including leading the “California Legacy Project” and inspiring early work in NCEAS’ ecoinformatics.

Patty Debenham is Founder and President of Debenham Consulting based in San Francisco, California. She is a marine biologist who works at the science-society interface in conservation and corporate sustainability. At NCEAS, Patty was in residence as a Center Associate while working with SeaWeb, and she has been a participant in many working groups including “Marine Reserves” and most recently in “Marine Debris.”

Andy Dobson is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University. Andy’s contributions to NCEAS include leading the “Diseases and Conservation,” “Seasonality of Infectious Diseases,” “Disease Dynamics” and “Parasites and Food Webs” working groups. Andy has participated in a record-setting number of working groups, and mentored a large number of postdocs and graduate students who have come through NCEAS over the years.

John Drake is an Associate Professor who works on diverse issues related to population biology in the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. John was an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow, leader of the “Ecological Machine Learning” group, and participant in “A Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity.”

Brian Enquist is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. Brian’s contributions to NCEAS include being a Postdoctoral Fellow, leader of the “Botanical Information and Ecology Network ” working group, and participating in other groups including “Understanding Species Abundance Distributions,” and “Unifying Biodiversity Theories.”

Bill Fagan is Associate Director for Research Innovations at the Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center and Professor in the Biology Department at the University of Maryland. At NCEAS, Bill was an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow, NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow, leader of the “Spatial Stoichiometry” and “Ecological Stoichiometry” working groups, and participant in several more activities.

John Fryxellis Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph, where his research ranges from animal behavior to population dynamics and community structure. John has served on the Science Advisory Board and participated in the “Herbivore Dynamics” and “Serengeti Ecosystem” working groups.Steve Gaines is Dean of the Donald Bren School of Environmental Sciences and Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Steve has been a very active member of the NCEAS community over many years, including leadership of the “Marine Debris,” “Marine Reserves” and “Insights from Exotics” working groups, and participating in many other activities related to marine research and education.

Ruth Gates is a Researcher in the Department of Zoology at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology/SOEST, University of Hawaii, specializing in the ecology, evolution and physiology of corals and their symbionts. At NCEAS, Ruth has been a Sabbatical Fellow, and leader of the “Coral Reefs of the Future” working group.

Leah Gerber is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Science at Arizona State University, where she works on marine biology and conservation issues. At NCEAS, Leah was a Postdoctoral Fellow, Sabbatical Fellow, leader of the “Vertebrate Conservation,” “Otter Modeling” and “Effects of Disease” working groups, and participant in other groups including “Conservation Decision Making in the Coral Triangle Initiative” and “Diseases and Conservation.”

Henry Gholz has been Program Director in the Division of Environmental Biology at the National Science Foundation since 2000, where he managed the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program for a decade and NCEAS since 2005. His scientific expertise is in forest carbon and nutrient dynamics. In addition to providing stewardship for NCEAS over the years, Henry has visited NCEAS a number of times for NSF reviews.

Wendy Gram serves as the Chief of Education and Public Engagement at the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). At NCEAS, Wendy was in the first cohort of Postdoctoral Fellows, working on forest dynamics and management; since then, she has been a leader of the Distributed Graduate Seminar “Teaching with Large Datasets,” and a participant in the DataONE project.

Bryan Grenfell is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He is a population biologist whose contributions to NCEAS include serving on the Science Advisory Board and participating in working groups “Disease and Conservation,” “Disease Dynamics” and “Seasonality of Infectious Diseases.”

Nancy Grimm is a Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. At NCEAS, Nancy was a Sabbatical Fellow and Chair of the NCEAS Science Advisory Board. She led the “Aquatic-terrestrial Biogeochemistry” working group and also participated in the “Ecology of Environmental Justice” and “Urbanization and Ecosystems” working groups.

Kay Gross is a Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology and Director of the Kellogg Biological Station at Michigan State University. She has been a two-time Sabbatical Fellow at NCEAS and served on the Science Advisory Board. Kay led the “Grassland Diversity” and “Clonal Plants and Fertilization” working groups and also participated in many NCEAS groups including the “LTER Ecosystem Services.”

Lou Gross is a Professor in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department and the Director of the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) at the University of Tennessee. His research includes mathematical and computational ecology, environmental modeling and restoration.

Sally Hacker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology at Oregon State University, where she is active in estuarine and rocky intertidal research. At NCEAS, Sally was Chair of the Science Advisory Board and participated in various working groups including “Alpine Elevation Gradients” and “Managing Interface Habitats.”

Ed Hackett is a Professor and the Associate Director of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. Ed is a sociologist who focuses on the dynamics of scientific collaboration. He was a Sabbatical Fellow, and has led working groups at NCEAS that examined the sociological aspects of synthesis science.

Ben Halpern is Project Coordinator for the Ecosystem-Based Management Program based at NCEAS and a lead scientist for the Ocean Health Index project. He is also Director of the Center for Marine Assessment and Planning at UCSB. In addition to being a former NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow, Ben has led working groups including “Mapping Marine Wilderness,” “Human Impacts in the California Current,” and “Ecological Thresholds,” and has also participated in numerous groups that focus on marine science.

Stephanie Hampton has been Deputy Director at NCEAS since 2006. Stephanie is a freshwater biologist, first introduced to NCEAS by leading the “Lake Baikal Plankton” working group. She remains active in aquatic research, while also involved in NCEAS projects at the interface of ecology and informatics such as DataONE, and numerous other NCEAS activities.

Lee Hannah is Senior Fellow in Climate Change Biology at Conservation International and Adjunct Faculty at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Lee participated in many working groups at NCEAS including “Climate Change and Forest Pathogens” and “Global Climate Change.”

Susan Harrison is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis. Susan served as a member of the Science Advisory Board. She led both the “Niche Conservatism” and “California Grasslands” working groups and has participated in other groups, most recently, the “Gradients of Beta Diversity.”

Drew Harvell is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. Drew was an NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow in 2000, when she led the working group “Ocean Diseases.” She also participated in several other working groups including “Diseases in Conservation,” “Ocean Diseases” and “Inducible Defenses.”

Brad Hawkins is a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, where his research focuses on why biodiversity gradients exist. Brad’s work at NCEAS includes leading both the “Energy- Diversity Relationships” and “Predators, Pathogens, and Parasitoids” working groups, and participating in the “Niche Conservatism” working group.

Ray Hilborn is a Professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. He is a fisheries and population biologist, who has been a leader of the “Predicting Extinction for Salmon” and “Finding Common Ground in Marine Conservation and Management” working groups. Ray has also been a participant in working groups including “Salmon Climate Change” and “Limited-Information Fisheries Management.”

Michael Hochberg is Research Director with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, based at the University of Montpellier, France. Michael served on the Science Advisory Board, was an NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow on two separate projects, leader of the “Human Cultural Diversity” workshop, and participated in multiple projects including “Darwinian Homeland Security” and “Evolving Metacommunities.”

Eli Holmes is a Research Fisheries Biologist at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Her contributions to NCEAS include serving on the Science Advisory Board, leading training in statistical analysis for NCEAS postdocs, and participating in the “Red Flags and Extinction Risk” project.

Bob Holt is an Eminent Scholar in the Department of Biology and Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Florida. At NCEAS, Bob served on the Science Advisory Board and contributed to many working groups. He led the “Species Borders,” “Diseases and Conservation” and “Species Range Dynamics” groups, and participated in other projects such as “Ecophylogenetics” and “Species Range Dynamics.”

Allen Hurlbert is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina in the Department of Biology. Allen was an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow and also participated in trainings and workshops including the “Biodiversity and Speciation” and “Understanding Species Abundance Distributions” working groups.

Jeremy Jackson is Senior Scientist Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution and Professor of Oceanography Emeritus at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. He is also the Science Director of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. At NCEAS, Jeremy was a member of the Science Advisory Board, led the “Marine Records” working group and contributed to multiple groups including “Marine Biodiversity Ecosystem Function” and “Ecological Processes.”

Matt Jones, Director of Informatics Research and Development, has been with NCEAS since its establishment. Matt has led or been involved in a number of projects focused on creating new informatics solutions to benefit synthesis in ecology. These include creating data sharing networks (KNB, DataONE), building analysis and modeling frameworks for reproducible science (SEEK/Kepler), and advancing data integration and discovery through structured metadata (EML) and formal semantics (SONet/Semtools/OBOE).

Carrie Kappel is currently an NCEAS Center Associate affiliated with the “Mapping Human Impacts” project and also a researcher with the Center for Marine Assessment and Planning (CMAP). She is a former NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow, and has participated in numerous working groups, including “Science Frameworks for Ecosystem-Based Management,” “Managing Interface Habitats,” “Marine Climate Impacts” and “Ecological Thresholds.”

Peter Kareiva is Chief Scientist and Vice President at the Nature Conservancy, with wide-ranging scientific expertise in areas as diverse as mathematical biology, landscape ecology, and global climate change. At NCEAS, Peter has been a Sabbatical Fellow, a Science Advisory Board member, and leader of numerous working groups including “Habitat Conservation Planning,” “Urban Modeling,” “Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity” and “EPA Risk Analysis.”

Steve Kelling is Director of Information Science in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University, where he works at the interface of informatics and ecology. Steve has been a close collaborator on several major ecoinformatics initiatives with NCEAS, such as the DataONE project and the semantics project “SONet.”

Bruce Kendall is a Professor in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In addition to having been an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow, Bruce also served on the Science Advisory Board and contributed to numerous working groups including “Complex Population Dynamics,” “Seasonality of Infectious Diseases” and “Inference for Mechanistic Models.”

Jim Kitchell is the Arthur Hasler Professor of Zoology in the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His research primarily focuses on aquatic food webs, from the Laurentian Great Lakes to marine ecosystems. Jim’s contributions to NCEAS include being a Sabbatical Fellow on two separate projects and also leading the “Marine Management,” “Food Web Models” and “Fishing Strategies” working groups.

Rachel Kondor is a District Representative for Congresswoman Lois Capps. Rachel is an attorney, with a J.D. from Lewis and Clark College of Law in Portland, Oregon where she specialized in environmental and natural resources law.

Mathew Leibold is a Professor at the University of Texas, Austin in the Section of Integrative Biology. Mathew was a leader for two NCEAS working groups: “Metacommunities” and “Evolving Metacommunities.” He has also partici pated in other working groups, the most recent being “Microbial Biodiversity.”

Sandy Liebhold is a Research Entomologist at the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Northern Research Station. At NCEAS, Sandy has been a Sabbatical Fellow, Science Advisory Board member, and leader of the “Masting Dynamics,” “Spatial Analysis” and “Eradicating Invasive Insects” working groups. He has also participated in several other groups including “Plants for Planting” and “Non-Native Forest Invasives.”

Chris Lortie is an Associate Professor in Biology at York University. Chris is a community ecologist, who has led the “Alpine Elevation Gradients” and “Progress and Publication Bias” working groups at NCEAS, and is leading the upcoming “Open Publishing for Ecology” working group. Chris also participated in the “Meta-analysis in Ecology” project and is a frequent visitor to NCEAS.

Jane Lubchenco is Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She is a marine ecologist and environmental scientist, with expertise in oceans, climate change, and interactions between the environment and human well-being. Her history at NCEAS includes leading the prolific “Marine Reserves” working group and participating in several other marine projects and initiatives.

Gene Lucas is the Executive Vice Chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and also a Professor in both the Department of Mechanical and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Michelle Mack is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida where her research focuses on plant and ecosystem ecology. At NCEAS, Michelle was a Sabbatical Fellow, leader of the “Nitrogen 15 Tracer Synthesis” and “Ecophylogenetics” working groups, and she also participated in the “What Is Fire?” group.

Pablo Marquet is a Professor in the Department of Ecology at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. His contributions to NCEAS include serving on the Science Advisory Board, being a Sabbatical Fellow, leading the “Unifying Biodiversity Theories” working group, and participating in many workshops such as “Future Biogeography,” “Para- sites and Food Webs” and ”Understanding Species Abundance Distributions.”

Christy McCain, Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, is also Curator of Vertebrates at the CU Natural History Museum. At NCEAS, Christy was a Postdoctoral Fellow, leader of the “Niche Conservatism” working group, and participant in other working groups including “Biodiversity and Speciation” and “Environment and Organisms.”

Karen McLeod is a Marine Ecologist who is Director of Science at COMPASS. Karen’s contributions to NCEAS include leading the “Assessing Marine Ecosystem Health” working group and participating in the “Ocean Ecosystem Management” and “Marine Spatial Planning Visioning” activities.

John Melack is a Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research is wide-ranging in biogeochemistry and aquatic science. John’s participation in NCEAS activities goes back fifteen years. He was a leader of the “Sustainable Fisheries Management” working group and has contributed to numerous others including “Synthesizing Methane Emissions,” “Urban Runoff ” and “Ecological Thresholds.”

Bruce Menge is a Professor of Marine Biology at Oregon State University. His research focuses on community ecology and marine ecosystems. Bruce served on the NCEAS Science Advisory Board from 2003-2006.

Bill Michener is Professor and Director of e-Science Initiatives for University Libraries at the University of New Mexico, and the Principal Investigator of DataONE. Bill has been an NCEAS working group leader (“Managed Floods”), and is a close collaborator on multiple current and past NCEAS projects, particularly in the ecoinformatics program, such as the DataONE project and Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge (SEEK).

Maria Miriti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at Ohio State University. She is a plant ecologist who has contributed to NCEAS by serving as a member of the Science Advisory Board and participating in the “Spatial Analysis” working group.

Gary Mittelbach is a Professor of Zoology with the Kellogg Biological Station at Michigan State University. Not only was Gary an NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow twice, but he also led the “Gradients in Biodiversity and Speciation” working group, and participated in other working groups including “Biodiversity and Speciation” and “Energy-Diversity Relationships.”

Max Moritz is an Associate Cooperative Extension Specialist at the University of California, Berkeley, where his research interests include fire ecology and management. Max was a Sabbatical Fellow at NCEAS and participated in many working groups, most recently, “What is Fire?” and “Global Climate Change.”

Bill Murdoch is the founding Director of NCEAS. He is also Professor Emeritus in the Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Beyond his continued guidance, Bill’s many other contributions to NCEAS include serving as Interim Director from 2008 – 2009, being a two-time NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow, serving on the Science Advisory Board, leading the “Complex Population Dynamics” working group, and participating in the “Population Management” and “Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity” workshops.

Charles Nilon is a Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences at the University of Missouri, where his research focuses on the impact of urbanization on wildlife. At NCEAS, Charlie led the “Urban Comparative Ecology” working group.

Roger Nisbet is Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. At NCEAS, Roger served as a Science Advisory Board member, was an NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow, led the “Toxicants Effects” working group, and participated in other groups including the “Competition Theory” and “Ecological Stoichiometry.”

John Orrock is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. John was a Postdoctoral Fellow at NCEAS from 2004 to 2007 studying “Interactions between mammalian herbivores and associated plant communities.” While at NCEAS, he also participated in the “Does Fear Matter?” working group.

Craig Osenberg is Professor of Ecology in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida. Craig’s contributions to NCEAS include serving on the Science Advisory Board, leading the “Meta-Analysis” working group, and participating in groups including “Nitrogen 15 Tracer Synthesis,” and “Ecosystem-based Management: Predator Effectiveness.” Craig is on the steering committee for this symposium.

Mike Pace is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia, and an Adjunct Scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Mike led one of the first NCEAS workshops in 1996, evaluating “Ecosystem Science Progress,” and later was Chair of the Science Advisory Board.

Margaret Palmer is Director of the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), in Annapolis, Maryland; Professor in the Department of Entomology, University of Maryland; and Professor in Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. At NCEAS, Margaret was Chair of the Science Advisory Board, led the “Stream Restoration” working group, and participated in the “Restoration Biology” and “Hydrological Regimes” projects.

John Parker is a Barrett Faculty Fellow at Arizona State University, where he studies the sociology of scientific collaboration. John was a Postdoctoral Fellow at NCEAS from 2008 to 2011. He led the “Metrics of Successful Collaborations” project with Stephanie Hampton and will be leading the “Advancing Synthesis” working group at NCEAS in 2012.

Camille Parmesan is a Professor in Integrative Biology at the University of Austin, Texas, and National Aquarium Chair in the Public Understanding of Oceans and Human Health at Plymouth University. At NCEAS, Camille was a Postdoctoral Fellow and has participated in several working groups, including “Marine Climate Impacts” and “Phenology and Climate.”

Bob Peet is a Professor in the Department of Biology at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He was an NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow, and a leader of the “Vegetation Classification” and “Botanical Information and Ecology Network” working groups, and participated in ecoinformatics projects such as “SEEK” and “Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity.”

Elise Pendall is an Associate Professor in the Department of Botany at the University of Wyoming where she specializes in ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry. Elise contributed to NCEAS by serving on the Science Advisory Board.

Charles “Pete” Peterson is a Professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Pete’s contributions to NCEAS include serving as Chair of the Science Advisory Board, leading the “Gulf Ecotoxicology” working group and participating in projects such as “Marine Reserves,” “Habitat Conservation Planning” and “Deep-Sea Biodiversity.”

Warren Porter is a Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where much of his research focuses on climate change and pesticide effects on animals, and early detection of infection. Warren was an NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow on two separate projects and also participated in the “Body Size in Ecology” and “Species Range Dynamics” working groups.

Hugh Possingham is Professor of Mathematics and Zoology at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, and Director of multiple major initiatives focused on environmental science and decision making. At NCEAS, Hugh was a Sabbatical Fellow, and leader of the “Ecosystem-based Management: Conservation Decision Making in the Coral Triangle Initiative” and “Population Management” working groups. He also participated in numerous groups, most recently “Modern Landscape Genetics.”

Mary Power is a Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She primarily works on food webs in rivers and their watersheds. Mary was a member of the Science Advisory Board and also participated in the “Habitat Conservation Planning” project.

Jai Ranganathan has been an NCEAS Center Associate since 2010. His affiliation with NCEAS began with a Postdoctoral Fellowship in “Conservation Planning in Argentina.” Jai’s work presently focuses on connecting scientists with the general public, through digital media and other innovative approaches. Jai is developing podcasts that will be based on interviews with this symposium’s participants.

Les Real is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Emory University, where his work primarily focuses on the ecology and evolution of infectious disease. At NCEAS, Les led the “Environment and Disease,” “Disease Dynamics” and “North American Rabies Database” working groups. He also participated in the “Diseases and Conservation” workshop.

Helen Regan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of California, Riverside. She is a former NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow and also led the “Environmental Decision Making” working group. Helen has participated in many working groups including “Global Climate Change” and “Conservation Priorities.”

Jim Regetz, a former NCEAS Graduate Student, is currently a Scientific Programmer and Analyst at NCEAS. Jim has participated in numerous meetings, trainings and working groups, most recently the “Global Jellyfish Blooms,” “Botanical Information and Ecology Network” and “Phenology and Climate” workshops.

Jim Reichman was Director of NCEAS from 1996-2007 and led the Center through two successful 5-year NSF renewals. He is also Professor Emeritus from the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Among his (too numerous to count) contributions, Jim mentored NCEAS postdocs and pioneered and championed NCEAS initiatives in the management of ecological data and open access publishing, including the “Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity” and “Data Management for the Ecological Sciences.”

John Rennie is editor in chief of Scientific American magazine. Rennie currently teaches science writing as adjunct professor at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, and writes The Gleaming Retort on the PLoS Blogs Network.

Taylor Ricketts is Professor of Natural Resources & Environment and Director of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont. At NCEAS, Taylor is the current Chair of the Science Advisory Board and has participated in the “Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity” working group.

Bill Robertson is a Program Officer with the Andrew Mellon Foundation. At NCEAS, Bill served on the initial External Advisory Committee, attended the 1996 “Synthesis Symposium,” and was a participant in the “Nitrogen Transport” working group.

Allen Rodrigo is the Director of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), and Professor in the Department of Biology at Duke University, where his work focuses on evolutionary bioinformatics and computational biology.

Andy Rosenberg is Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President for Science + Knowledge at Conservation International, and Professor of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of New Hampshire. He is a marine biologist who has led the “Science Frameworks for Ecosystem-based Management” and “Assessing Marine Ecosystem Health” working groups, and participated in numerous NCEAS activities focused on marine issues.

Steve Rothstein is a Professor in the department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His interests are in animal behavior, ecology, evolution and ornithology. He was involved in some of the earliest NCEAS activities, and led the “Southwestern Willow Recovery” project.

Joan Roughgarden is an Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Hawaii and also Professor Emerita in the Department of Biology at Stanford University. Joan is a former Sabbatical Fellow at NCEAS. She also led the “Ecology and Economics” working group and participated in workshops such as “Nature Boundary” and “Spatial Ecology.”

Mary Ruckelshaus is Managing Director of the Natural Capital Project (a partnership among Stanford University, The Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund and the University of Minnesota). She is based in Seattle, WA, where she was a staff scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for 13 years. At NCEAS, Mary was Chair of the Science Advisory Board, served on the Ecosystem-based Management Advisory Board, led the “Salmon Climate Resilience” working group, and participated in numerous groups including “Marine Reserves,” “Extinction Risk” and “Cultural Ecosystem Services.”

John Sabo is an Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. John’s contributions to NCEAS include serving on the Science Advisory Board, being an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow, NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow, leader of the “Human Impacts on Freshwater Sustainability” working group and participant in the “Detritus and Dynamics” workshop.

Rafe Sagarin is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Institute of the Environment at The University of Arizona. At NCEAS, Rafe was leader of the “Darwinian Homeland Security” working group and participant in workshops including “Species Borders,” “Market-based Marine Conservation” and “Sustainable Global Seafood Market.”

Mark Schildhauer, Director of Computing, has been an integral part of NCEAS’ operations since its inception, with primary responsibilities for building and maintaining a robust cyberinfrastructure enabling residents and visiting Working Groups to address complex tasks in scientific data integration and analysis. Mark is also deeply involved with developing new technological solutions to help ecological scientists accomplish collaborative research, including participation on the KNB, SEEK, Kepler, SONet, and DataONE projects.

Ted Schuur is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida, where his research focuses on the effects of climate change in terrestrial ecosystems. Ted was an NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow and participant in the “Carbon Vulnerability” and “Phenological Change in Tundra Plants” working groups.

Eric Seabloom is Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at The University of Minnesota. Eric’s affiliation with NCEAS began as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Besides leading the “Realtime Environment Analytical Processing” working group, Eric participated in many projects over the years including “Biotic Interactions and Invasions” and “Trophic Structure Comparisons.”

Rebecca Shaw is Associate Vice President for the Land, Water and Wildlife Program at Environmental Defense Fund. Rebecca’s involvement with NCEAS has included serving on the Science Advisory Board, being leader of the “Global Climate Change” working group, and participating in other workshops including “Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity” and “Nitrogen and CO2.”

Felisa Smith is a Professor of Biology and Director of the Program in Interdisciplinary Biological & Biomedical Science at the University of New Mexico. Felisa’s contributions to NCEAS include serving on the Science Advisory Board, leading the “Body Size in Ecology” working group, and participating in the “Mammal Community” workshop.

Mindy Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University, where her research focuses on issues of global environmental change, especially in terrestrial ecosystems. Mindy was an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow and participant in the “Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity: Graduate Student Seminar” and “Trophic Structure Comparisons” workshop.

Victoria Sork is Dean of Life Sciences and Professor in Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on the evolutionary and ecological processes that affect the genetic composition of trees. Victoria was a Sabbatical Fellow, a working group leader for “Masting Dynamics” and “Gene Flow,” and participant in “Habitat Conservation Planning.”

Peter Stine is a Program Manager, Principal Research Scientist, and Biogeographer at the US Forest Service Sierra Nevada Research Center. At NCEAS, Peter was a participant in the “Conservation Strategies,” “Spatial Uncertainty” and “Habitat Conservation Planning” working groups.

Erik Stokstad has been on the staff of Science magazine since 1997, covering natural resource issues—such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and wildlife—and other environmental research. Erik’s contributions to NCEAS include mentoring scientists in the “Ecosystem-based Management: Science Communications and Policy” workshop.

Josh Tewksbury is Walker Professor of Natural History in the Biology Department at the University of Washington. His interests range from studying plant-animal interactions to considering the place of natural history in modern science. At NCEAS, Josh was a Sabbatical Fellow, leader of the “Species Range Dynamics” working group, and has been an active member of the DataONE project.

Pete Thrall is Principal Research Scientist in the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research at CSIRO where he leads research to improve plant production and protect plants from disease and pests. At NCEAS, Pete served on the Science Advisory Board and participated in the “Host Behavior” working group.

David Tilman is a University of Minnesota Regents Professor and McKnight Presidential Chair in Ecology; Director of the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve; and a Professor in the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In addition to being a Sabbatical Fellow at NCEAS on two separate projects, Dave also served as a leader on the “Spatial Ecology” workshop and participated in numerous working groups, such as “Spatial Temporal Community Dynamics” and “Insights from Exotics.”

Michael Todd is the online editor at Pacific Standard magazine (formerly Miller-McCune), which focuses on political and economic forces defining the world today, and approaches them with science- and research-based stories that suggest directions forward.

Mark Torchin is a Staff Scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. His research focuses broadly on host-parasite interactions, especially in marine ecosystems. He was an NCEAS Postdoctoral Fellow and has attended many working groups including “Diseases and Conservation” and “Biotic Interactions and Invasions.”

Dave Vieglais is Senior Scientist and Associate Director of the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Kansas, as well as the Director for Development and Operations in DataONE. Dave has been a Sabbatical Fellow and a close collaborator on multiple NCEAS ecoinformatics initiatives such as DataONE, SONet, and the Virtual Data Center.

Mary Voytek is a Senior Scientist for Astrobiology in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. Her expertise is in aquatic microbial ecology and biogeochemistry. Mary contributed to NCEAS by serving on the Science Advisory Board.

Bob Waide is a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of New Mexico and Executive Director of the Long-Term Ecological Research Network Office. He is a terrestrial ecologist, with a long history of work in tropical ecosystems in particular. At NCEAS, Bob has participated in multiple activities, especially those focused on the interface between informatics and ecological research.

Bob Warner is a Professor in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Bob’s affiliation with NCEAS includes being a Sabbatical Fellow, serving on the Science Advisory Board, leading the “Marine Populations” workshop, and attending numerous working groups including “Marine Records,” “Marine Reserves” and “Designing Marine Reserves.”

Mike Willig is Director of the Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, as well as Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut. In addition to being an NCEAS Sabbatical Fellow, Mike also led a “Long Term Ecological Research Network” activity and participated in working groups including “Body Size in Ecology” and “Modeling Species Diversity.”

Mike Witherell is Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and holds a University of California Presidential Chair in the Physics Department.

Henry Yang is Chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a professor of Mechanical Engineer- ing. The establishment of NCEAS coincided with his initial years at UCSB, and he has been a champion for NCEAS throughout the Center’s growth.

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