Dr. Melinda D. Smith
Principal Investigator
Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Colorado State University
melinda.smith@colostate.edu
I am a plant community ecologist interested in understanding patterns, determinants, and dynamics of diversity and species abundance and how these relate to ecosystem function. I conduct most of my research in the field; however, I also conduct lab work. I focus exclusively on grassland ecosystems, in particular the shortgrass steppe, mixedgrass and tallgrass prairies in the Central Great Plains of the U.S, but also work with collaborators in grasslands in South Africa and Inner Mongolia China.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Nico Matallana
PhD Candidate
Nico received his undergraduate degrees from the University of Montana, where he studied restoration ecology and plant biology. After several years of traveling and working seasonally as a botanist, he started his current research in Montana’s Glacier National Park. He is collaborating with park managers and CSU researchers to study how bison reintroduction may affect the park’s ecology after more than 120 years of their exclusion. Through his research, he hopes to answer questions that will help guide management and answer pertinent ecological questions.
Alex Siggers
PhD Candidate
Alex is interested in the temporal dynamics of shifting above– and belowground communities in response to climate extremes. He is currently working on a collaborative project in grassland ecosystems to understand the resilience & recovery of microbial communities following long-term experimental drought. His research also addresses the link between dominant plant species and soil microbial communities across the Great Plains. Alex received his Bachelor’s in Biology from Georgia College & State University in 2021 and worked extensively with multiple nonprofit organizations during his undergraduate experience.
Maddie Amick
PhD Student
Maddie received her Bachelor’s degree in Organismal Biology and Ecology from Colorado College where she studied the evolution and physiology of prickly pears (Opuntia spp.) across the front range. At Colorado State University, Maddie brings her knowledge and experience to study the effects of drought and recovery in grassland populations. Her work focuses on the usage of seedbanks and seed dispersal after drought as a mechanism of recovery. She hopes to help increase our knowledge and create effective response treatments to drought through her research.
Adriana Jacobi
PhD Student
Adriana is interested in native plant restoration under solar PV arrays (ecovoltaics) and currently conducts research at Jack’s Solar Garden. She studies the abundance and community dynamics of a variety of Colorado native grasses, with a specialization on the state grass of Colorado, Bouteloua gracilis. Her ecological background extends from rare plant conservation work with the Denver Botanic Gardens, to conducting research on the effects of deforestation on understory plants in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Adriana received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder where she double majored and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies. In her free time, Adriana enjoys birding, skiing, and hiking.
Anna Hall
Master’s Student
Anna is interested in studying the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances, such as overgrazing, on our grasslands in Colorado. She is working on Understanding how the effects of grazing impact community composition and biomass production under climate extremes such as long-term experimental drought. Anna received her bachelors of science from Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability while double minoring in Conservation Biology and Global Environmental Sustainability in 2024. Before joining the lab as a master’s student, she worked in the lab as an undergraduate, falling in love with Grassland ecology! In her free time, Anna enjoys live music, movies, and skiing.
Scott Otto
Master’s Student
Scott.Otto@colostate.edu
Scott received a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville, where he studied pollution ecology and environmental policy with an emphasis on the Endangered Species Act. His undergraduate research focused on the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in prairie restoration, sparking a lifelong interest in plant–fungal interactions. Before pursuing graduate studies, he worked in the water rights sector in Wyoming, where he developed a deeper appreciation for the importance of sustainable resource management in water limited systems. His current research investigates how root traits and mycorrhizal fungi respond to climate extremes in semi-arid grasslands. He is particularly interested in linking root structure and symbiotic fungal relationships to better understand belowground plant responses to environmental stress. His work aims to improve predictions of ecosystem resilience under future climate scenarios. In his free time, he enjoys hiking (especially with his dog, Nebula), playing tennis and golf, and exploring new board games.
Chance Roberts
PhD Student
Chance.Roberts@colostate.edu
Chance investigates plant-microbe interactions and how they morph under our changing climate. Currently, he conducts experiments regarding how soil microbial communities react to biotic and abiotic factors post-drought. He also has contributed to understanding the dynamics of carbon fluxes under precipitation changes. Chance obtained his Bachelors from Colorado State University where he conducted research regarding how different cultivars of a native grass interact with soil microbial communities.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
Francis Chaves Rodriguez
francis.chaves_rodriguez@colostate.edu
I am a Colombian plant community ecologist with interest in the role of plant community structure and composition on ecosystem function, particularly understanding the functional role of dominant species. I am also interested in the functional consequences of species loss, the mechanisms for recovery of plant communities and ecosystem function, and how they are affected by climate change. Currently, in the Smith Lab, I am collaborating with a long-term experiment understanding the impacts of climate change and its interactions with drivers of grassland ecosystems. I received a PhD from Colorado State University advised by Dr. Melinda Smith. Also, I had the opportunity to implement an experiment on the effect of plant biodiversity on ecosystem function as postdoc in South Dakota State University
LAB ALUMNI
Post-Docs
Tim Olhert, Ph.D is a Postdoctoral at University of Colorado Boulder, CO
Kate Wilkins, Ph.D is the Colorado Regional Conservation Director at the Denver Zoo, email: KWilkins@denverzoo.org
Deron Burkepile, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at The University of California, Santa Barbara
Catherine E. Burns, Ph.D. works with The Nature Conservancy, California Chapter and is Associate Director, Water and Habitat for Nature
Stephanie Eby, Ph.D. is a visiting lecturer at Assumption College, Framingham State University, and Northeastern University
Sally Koerner, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina- Greensboro
Nathan Lemoine, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at Marquette University
Wei Mao, P.h.D. is an Associate Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qiang Yu, Ph.D. is a Professor at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Graduate Students
Mary Linabury (Ph.D. 2025) is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Carina Donne (M.S. 2024) is a Research Associate with Ed Hall at Colorado State University; email: carina.donne@colostate.edu
Alicia Lenners (M.S. 2023)
Maggie Ross (M.S. 2022) is a Plant community specialist with the Minnesota Biological Survey
Leena Vilonen (Ph.D. 2022) is the Executive Director of at the Global Soil Initiative at Colorado State University; email: leena.vilonen@colostate.edu
Jesse Gray (Ph.D 2022) is a Postdoctoral Research at University of Colorado – Boulder
Francis Chavez (Ph.D. 2020) e-mail: fachaves@rams.colostate.edu
Andrew Felton (Ph.D. 2018) is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Utah State University
Lauren Baur (M.S. 2016) is a Research Associate with the EDGE Project
Beth Forrestel (Ph.D. 2015) is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis
John Dietrich (M.S. 2015)
Ava Hoffman (P.h.D. 2019) is a Data Scientist with the Boston Consulting Group
Kimberly (Kim) La Pierre (Ph.D. 2013) is a Senior Scientist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Meghan Avolio (Ph.D. 2012) is an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University
Cynthia Chang (Ph.D. 2011) is an Assistant Professor at University of Washington, Bothell