Mike Greisiger
MS - Rangeland Ecosystem Science Growing up in NW Ohio, I had lots of exposure to concrete jungles and cropland. Feeling the need to explore the wild spaces of North America, I pursued a BS in Environmental Policy and Analysis at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Upon graduation, I began pursuing a career in natural resource management. Starting with AmeriCorps at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in 2015 and ending at Rocky Mountain National Park in 2019. After four years of traveling around the country working on projects from amphibian research to testing for zoological diseases, I decided to take the time to pursue an MS in Rangeland Ecosystem Science. After leaving Rocky Mountain National Park, I began my graduate research at Colorado State University. The main focus of my graduate research is testing the efficacy of treatments to remove the invasive species Phalaris arundinacea (Reed Canary Grass), in montane wetland ecosystems. Along with testing the effectiveness of treatments, I am also working on developing a high-resolution habitat suitability model to aid land managers in the Rocky’s to manage Phalaris arundinacea. I hope to continue my career in natural resource management. |
Elin Binck
MS - Rangeland Ecosystem Science I grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C., but most of my fond memories are from my time spent submerged in the forests and waters along the south shore of Lake Superior. After getting my undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Puget Sound, I moved to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. There, I assisted with numerous aquatic ecology research efforts in streams, ponds, and wetlands through the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab and the Bureau of Land Management. My growing passion for watershed health in the West eventually led me to pursue my M.S. degree at CSU. My research is the first to use pilot data from the Bureau of Land Management’s new wetland- and riparian-focused Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) program. Specifically, I am interested in the environmental and human-influenced drivers of plant communities in hydrologically driven areas on BLM land in the Western U.S. |
Eduardo Oyague Passuni
PhD - Rangeland Ecosystem Science I am a Peruvian biologist, born and raised in Chanchamayo, a province in the Amazonian headwaters in central-eastern Peru. During my childhood, I grew up on a coffee farm and developed a strong interest in understanding nature, particularly rivers, ponds, and lakes. As soon as I finished school, I moved to Lima and s pursued a BS in Biology. For my BS Thesis, I moved to Manu National Park and Los Amigos Reserve as part of a research project trying to understand which of the Riverine Ecology Paradigms best explains the community organization in Amazon lowland river systems. Before studying for my MSc, I worked for the Peruvian Service of National Protected Areas (Cordillera Azula and Yanachaga – Chemillén National Parks) and a consulting company. My Master’s research was focused on vegetation, soil structure, and hydraulic conductivity in Central Andean Peatlands. For my Ph.D., I work with Jeremy Sueltenfuss and David J. Cooper in hydrology and carbon dynamics of high mountain wetlands on the Andes and the Rockies. |
Anna Wright
MS - Ecology I was born in the beautiful and wild Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I am interested in plants, restoration ecology, and policy. For my masters research, I am working with Troy Ocheltree and Jeremy Sueltenfuss to research water loss in restored wetlands, which has direct policy implications for managing wetland mitigation projects. I also serve as Social Committee Chair for the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology. Outside of work and school, I enjoy experimenting with sourdough bread and spending time outdoors. I hold a BS in Applied & Agricultural Economics and an MPA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. |