Curriculum Vitae

Academic History and Appointments

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

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

Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Studies, 2017-2022
University of California Santa Cruz, CA
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, 2010-2014
University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
Focus: Restoration Ecology

Awards and Grants

*California Farm Bureau Conservation Grazing Fund, 2023 ($520,000)

UCSC Environmental Studies Experiential Learning & Research Grant, 2022
National Science Foundation PRFB (Declined to accept USDA), 2022 ($138,000)
UCSC Graduate Dean’s Travel and Research Grant , 2022
U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agricultural and Food Initiative Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2022 ($216,900)
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 – 2020
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, 2020
California Native Plant Society Education Research Grant, 2019
University of California Matthias Fellowship, 2019
Northern California Botanist Botany Research Scholarship Program, 2018, 2019
UCSC Graduate Student Travel and Research Award, 2018, 2019
David Gaines Award, 2018
UC Regents Fellowship, 2017, 2018, 2019
California Native Plant Society, San Luis Obispo Rare Plant Fund, 2017
Minor Grant, the Coastal Fund, UCSB 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019

UNDERGRAD GRANTS RECEIVED BY MENTEES

Earth Futures Institute Frontier Fellowship, 2022
UCSC Plant Sciences Student Greenhouse Award, 2020, 2021
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, 2018
Cooley Environmental Research Award, UCSC, 2019 (×2), 2020
Keeley Coastal Scholars Award, UCSC, 2019

Professional Experience

Luong Restoration and Ecology Internship Program
Cal Poly Humboldt, 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 only)
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

Boards and Committees

Environmental Studies Grant Review Committee
2018 – 2020

USFWS Nipomo Lupine Endangered Species Recovery Team
2019 – Present

Mark’s Ranch Technical Advisory Committee
2020 – Present

UCSC Ken Norris Natural History Center Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
2020 – 2023

UCSC Environmental Studies BIPOC Resilience Graduate Committee
2020 – 2022

California Native Grassland Association
Director-at-Large
2021 - Present

Affiliations

USFWS Nipomo Lupine Endangered Species Recovery Team Species Expert 2019-Present

California Native Plant Society (CNPS) Member
2015-Present

The Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) Research Affiliate
2017-Present

California Botanical Society Member
2017-Present

California Native Grassland Association (CNGA) Member, Director-at-Large
2018-Present

Northern California Botanists (NCB) Member
2018-Present

Society for Ecological Restoration, California (SERCAL) Member
2018-Present

Sigma Xi Member
2019-Present

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Member
2019-Present

Ecological Society of America (ESA) Member
2020-Present

Entomological Society of America (ESA) Member
2020-Present

Professional Service

Ecological Society of America Ecological Restoration Section
Graduate Student Rep
2020-Present
Duties: Organize student poster contest and provide input on section decisions.

Various Journals
Reviewer
Publon ID - AAK-2150-2020

Ecology and Evolution - 4
Ecological Solutions and Evidence - 1
Journal of Plant and Soil Science - 1
Land Degradation and Development - 1
Madroño - 1
Restoration Ecology - 3

Mentorship

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

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

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

Stratton, L; Luong JC. 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.

Luong, JC. 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.

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

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

Stratton, L; Luong JC; Chapman DW. 2021. Nipomo Lupine (Lupinus nipomensis) 2020-21 Year Outplanting and Assessment Studies. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office.

Stratton, L; Luong JC. 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.

Luong, JC; Chavez-Velasco E. 2021. Can temporal priority facilitate native forb establishment in a California coastal prairie?. Monitoring Report Prepared for Younger Lagoon Reserve.

Luong, JC. 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.

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

Luong, JC. 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.

Stratton, L; Luong JC. 2020. 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.

Luong, JC. 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.

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

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

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

Stratton, L; Luong JC. 2019. 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.

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

Luong, JC. 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.

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

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

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

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

Luong, JC; Nolan, MN, Stratton, L. 2017. 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.

Reily, C; Luong, JC; Chapman, W; Stratton, L. 2017. Lupinus nipomensis seed bulking report. Report Prepared for the USFWS – Ventura Office.

Luong, JC; Stratton, L. 2016. 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.