Curriculum Vitae

Academic History and Appointments

Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley (2025-Present)
Department of Forestry, Fire and Rangeland Management

Assistant Professor, California Polytechnic University Humboldt - Arcata, CA (2023-2025)
Department of Forestry, Fire and Rangeland Management

USDA AFRI Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, Davis (2022-2023)
Focus: Invasion Ecology & Secondary Invasions

Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz (2017-2022)
Research Focus: Novel strategies for understanding restoration outcomes facing climate change
Advising Committee: Dr. Michael Loik (Co-PI), Dr. Karen Holl (Co-PI), Dr. Daniel Press
External Committee: Dr. Katharine Suding (University of Colorado, Boulder)

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara (2010-2014)
Focus: Restoration Ecology

Professional Experience

Luong Restoration and Ecology Internship Program UC Berkeley, CA (2018-Present)
Research Mentor and Program Administer
Duties: Mentor 3-15 undergraduate students any given school quarter about ecological research; teach students to complete lab techniques and analysis and present their work in a professional research setting; assist students in completing thesis projects and apply for small grants to complete independent research

Humboldt State University Arcata, CA (2021-2023)
Research Analyst
Duties: Analyze multiyear plant community data from Great Basin Sage Scrub and write and generate a research publication.

Netflix Animation Los Angeles, CA (2021-2022)
Consulting Botanist
Duties: Consult on California coastal botany and its relevance to the animation film project and intersection with queer identities.

California Marine Sanctuary Foundation Monterey, CA (2020-Present)
Consulting Ecologist
Duties: Create and implement a vegetation monitoring plan for a newly designed grassland restoration project that will be used in conjunction with ranching and public access; conduct annual vegetation monitoring of restoration project; analyze soil samples taken using Loss on Ignition to determine soil organic and inorganic carbon

UC Santa Cruz Science Internship Program UC Santa Cruz, CA (2019-2022 summers)
Research Mentor
Duties: Mentor 3-4 high school students about ecological research; teach students to complete lab techniques and analysis and present their work in a professional research setting

Norris Center for Natural History UC Santa Cruz, CA (2018-2021)
Graduate Student Researcher
Duties: Worked on various projects and tasks; for 3 months, I took high-quality macro-photos of insects for databasing and digitization; for 6 months I assisted in developing a public exhibit focused on “Santa Cruz Naturalists” with a specific focus on diversity, equity and inclusion within the Santa Cruz Naturalist community; for 3 months I managed two internship programs: one based on researching sensitive species within the local bioregion and another focused on decolonizing natural history museum practices

Watsonville Wetland Watch Freedom, CA 2018-2022 (Spring and Summers)
Consulting Ecologist
Duties: Conduct annual vegetation monitoring and statistics for restoration sites completed by Watsonville Wetland Watch from sites that were retired from agriculture

Younger Lagoon Reserve UC Santa Cruz, 2017-2022 (Spring only)
Graduate Student Researcher
Duties: Conduct annual compliance monitoring and reporting; report on reserve research activities; assist and create videos for the online internship education program; assist with repairs on research designs

University of California, Santa Cruz – Chancellor’s Office UC Santa Cruz, 2019-2020
Graduate Student Researcher
Duties: Develop a campus grassland prioritization and management plan to be used in future development and planning efforts as well as to further conservation efforts on campus; vegetation and wildlife of survey campus grasslands; interviews with relevant stakeholders such as planners, natural resource managers, faculty and community members; conduct a campus wide survey about campus grasslands; analyze existing long term data of campus grasslands

Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration UC Santa Barbara, 2013-2017
Positions: Student Worker (1.5 yrs) – Restoration Assistant (0.5 yrs) – Field Coordinator (1.5 yrs)
Duties: Oversee grassland and wetland restoration activities; coordinate and train students and volunteers; teach non- and native plant ID; conduct endangered species research (Lupinus nipomensis); collect annual vegetation monitoring data; generate reports on grassland restoration and endangered species recovery

Awards and Grants

• California State University Agriculture Research Initiative (ARI) System Funding (Co-PI, led by Robert Griffin-Nolan), 2025 ($430k)
• Cal Poly Humboldt Agriculture Research Initiative (ARI) Award, 2025 ($28k)
• Cal Poly Humboldt Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Program, 2024
• CSUBIOTECH: 2024 Presidents’ Commission Scholars Program, 2024
• National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration (Co-PI, led by Adrián Lázaro Lobo), 2024 ($18k)
• Cal Poly Humboldt Emeritus and Retired Faculty & Staff Association Grant, 2024
• Cal Poly Humbolt Faculty Research Incentive Grant, 2024
• National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration (Co-PI), 2023 ($18k)
• Learning Aligned Employment Program for Rangeland Research, 2023 ($10k)
• University of California Office of the President Climate Action Seed Fund, 2023 ($1.5M)
• California Farm Bureau Conservation Grazing Fund, 2023 ($520k)
• UCSC Environmental Studies Experiential Learning & Research Grant, 2022
• National Science Foundation PRFB (Declined to accept USDA), 2022 ($138k)
• UCSC Graduate Dean’s Travel and Research Grant, 2022
• U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agricultural and Food Initiative Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2022 ($216.9k)
• UCSC Graduate Student Cultivation Grant, 2021
• Building Better Belongings Program Undergraduate Research, 2021
• UCSC Graduate Student Association Cultivation Grant, 2021
• ARCS Foundation Scholarship – Northern California Chapter, 2021
• UC Santa Cruz Quarter-Dissertation-Year Fellowship, 2021
• California Dept Food and Ag. 2020 Healthy Soils Program, 2020
• Hardman Native Plant Award, 2020
• UC Santa Cruz Plant Sciences Student Greenhouse Award, 2020
• Radical Resilience Initiative Grant, 2020
• Chancellors Graduate Internship Program, 2019-20
• Jean H. Langenheim Graduate Fellowship in Ecology and Evolution, 2019
• Golden Gate Science into Action Fund, 2019
• Northern California Botanists Botany Research Scholarship Program, 2019
• Benjamin and Ruth Hammett Fellowship, UCSC, 2019
• Student Research Grant, California Native Grassland Society, 2019-20
• California Native Plant Society Education Research Grant, 2019
• University of California Matthias Fellowship, 2019
• Northern California Botanist Botany Research Scholarship Program, 2018-19
• UCSC Graduate Student Travel and Research Award, 2018-19
• David Gaines Award, 2018
• UC Regents Fellowship, 2017-18-19
• California Native Plant Society, San Luis Obispo Rare Plant Fund, 2017
• Minor Grant, the Coastal Fund, UCSB 2012, 13, 16, 19

UNDERGRAD GRANTS RECEIVED BY MENTEES

• Earth Futures Institute Frontier Fellowship, 2022
• UCSC Plant Sciences Student Greenhouse Award, 2020-21
• California Native Grassland Association Student Research Grant, 2021
• Paul Silva Student Award, California Botanical Society, 2020
• USDA SUPERDAR 2.0, UCSC, 2020
• Minor Grant, the Coastal Fund, UCSB 2017-18
• Cooley Environmental Research Award, UCSC, 2019(×2),20
• Keeley Coastal Scholars Award, UCSC, 2019

Mentorship

• Peter Nguyen, (*)(2021-2023)
• Jennifer Valadez, (*)(2021-2023)
• Leisha Devisetti, high schooler, (2021-Present)
• Nick Mazzotti, (*)(2021-2023)
• Elisha Villanueva(*), (2021-2023)
• Emma Houle, (*)(2020-2022)
• Ernesto Chavez-Velasco, ()(+)(!)(2020-Present)
  *senior thesis: “Responses of Functional Leaf Traits to Fog & Drought are Greater
  for Native Coastal California Grassland than Coastal Agricultural Species” masters thesis: *Integrating plant traits with site characterizations to support biodiverse California coastal grassland restoration.
• Carina Motta, (*)(!)(2020-2022)
• Tori Bauman, ()(2020)
  *senior thesis: “Coastal Prairie Bunchgrass Response to Trail Disturbance”
• Hallie Holmes, ()(2018-2020)
  *senior thesis: “The Effects of Coastal Prairie Restoration and Experimental
  Drought on Soil Carbon Content”
• Justin Xie, (*)(2019-2020)
• Juan Carlos Moso, (*)(2019-2020)
• Emma Clabby, (*)(2019-2020)
• Janine Anne Tan, (*)(2018-2022)
• Eric Kim, (*)(+)(2017-2021)
• Chris Orozco, (*)(+)(2017-2021)
• Katie Lefley, (*)(+)(2017-2021)
• Barry Lao, (*)(2017-2018)
• Chelsea Chung, (*)(2017-2018)
• Elijah Baker, (*)(+)(2016-2021)
• Celina Phillipson, (*)(+)(2016-2021)

(* Undergrad) (+ Professional) (! Masters)

Professional and Technical Reports (Grey and White Lit; available upon request)

Nipomo Lupine (Lupinus nipomensis) 2021-22 Year Outplanting and Assessment Studies. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office.
Stratton, L; Luong JC; Chapman DW. 2022.

Outplanting Field Experiment for Lupinus nipomensis Year 8 at Black Lake Ecological Area, Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office. 2022.

Vegetation and Soil Report from Restoration Seeding and Compost Blanketing at Big Sur Land Trust’s Mark’s Ranch. Monitoring Report Prepared for the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation. 2022.

Annual Report for California Endangered Species Act Scientific, Educational, or Management Permit (2081(a)-21-023-RP). 2022.

Vegetation assessment of restored Watsonville Uplands prior to prescribed burning. Monitoring Report Prepared for the Watsonville Wetlands Watch. 2021.

Nipomo Lupine (Lupinus nipomensis) 2020-21 Year Outplanting and Assessment Studies. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office. 2021.

Outplanting Field Experiment for Lupinus nipomensis Year 7 at Black Lake Ecological Area, Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office. 2021.

Can temporal priority facilitate native forb establishment in a California coastal prairie?. Monitoring Report Prepared for Younger Lagoon Reserve. 2021.

Compliance Monitoring Report for Coastal Prairie and Coastal Scrub Restoration Sites at Younger Lagoon Reserve Spring 2021. Monitoring Report Prepared for the California Coastal Commission. 2021.

Annual Research Report of On-going Research at Younger Lagoon Reserve 2021. Monitoring Report Prepared for the California Coastal Commission. 2021.

Vegetation and Soil Report from Restoration Seeding and Compost Blanketing at Big Sur Land Trust’s Mark’s Ranch. Monitoring Report Prepared for the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation. 2021.

Outplanting Field Experiment for Lupinus nipomensis Year 6 at Black Lake Ecological Area, Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office. 2020.

Compliance Monitoring Report for Coastal Prairie and Coastal Scrub Restoration Sites at Younger Lagoon Reserve Spring 2020. Monitoring Report Prepared for the California Coastal Commission. 2020.

UC Santa Cruz Campus Grasslands Management Guidelines & Protection Prioritization Recommendations. UC Santa Cruz Chancellor’s Office. 2020.

Annual Research Report of On-going Research at Younger Lagoon Reserve 2020. Monitoring Report Prepared for the California Coastal Commission. 2020.

Vegetation at Hanson and Bryant Habert Wetlands in 2020. Monitoring Report Prepared for the Watsonville Wetlands Watch. 2020.

Outplanting Field Experiment for Lupinus nipomensis Year 5 at Black Lake Ecological Area, Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office. 2019.

Maternal Effects and Drought Sensitivity in Lupinus nipomensis. Research Report Prepared for California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2019.

Compliance Monitoring Report for Coastal Prairie and Coastal Scrub Restoration Sites at Younger Lagoon Reserve Spring 2019. Monitoring Report Prepared for the California Coastal Commission. 2019.

Power Analysis and Plant Communities at Hanson and Bryant Habert Wetlands in 2019. Monitoring Report Prepared for the Watsonville Wetlands Watch. 2019.

Annual Research Report of On-going Research at Younger Lagoon Reserve 2019. Monitoring Report Prepared for the California Coastal Commission. 2019.

Annual Research Report of On-going Research at Younger Lagoon Reserve 2018. Monitoring Report Prepared for the California Coastal Commission. 2018.

Lupinus nipomensis Black Lake Ecological Area 4th Outplanting Report. Report Prepared for the California Native Plant Society – San Luis Obispo. 2018.

Outplanting Field Experiment for Lupinus nipomensis Year 3 at Black Lake Ecological Area, Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office. 2017.

Lupinus nipomensis seed bulking report. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office. 2017.

Outplanting Field Experiment for Lupinus nipomensis Year 2 at Black Lake Ecological Area, Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office. 2016.