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 is interested in the temporal dynamics of shifting above- and belowgroundcommunities 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 looks at how active restoration methods interact with passive mechanisms of recovery from extreme drought events. They are currently working to understand how seed banks, seed dispersal, and active seeding efforts work together to change plant communities after drought. She is also working to understand how bison alter plant communities in agricultural systems. Maddie received her Bachelor’s in Organismal Biology and Ecology from Colorado College in 2022. In their free time, Maddie loves to read, draw, swim, and weightlift.

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 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 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 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.