Student Competition

Code of Conduct

We are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form. Suggestive statements, sexual inuendo, or offensive remarks are not appropriate during any activity, including during talks, poster sessions, workshops, social functions, after hours parties, or via Twitter or other online media. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Those violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled without a refund at the discretion of the organizers. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns about participant behavior, please notify the organizers immediately.

Blane Sanchez

2nd Lieutenant Governor, Pueblo of Isleta and
Former Commissioner
New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission
Isleta, NM

Blane Sanchez, from Isleta Pueblo, served as the first New Mexico tribal member on the NM Interstate Stream Commission over the last 16½ years, ending in July this year. A background in farming and ranching influenced by his grandfather led him to obtain an undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University in agriculture (range science). He was also the first NM tribal member to complete the Master of Water Resources graduate program at the University of New Mexico. His 30-plus years of professional work and experience includes the areas of natural resources management, water quality standards, environmental protection, facilitation, tribal and state water policy, water utilities administration, and exposure to water research. Blane has participated and presented at numerous local, state, and regional water related forums including the annual NM Water Conference four times and has served on the NM Water Conference Advisory Committee since 1992.

M. Camille Calimlim Touton

Commissioner
Bureau of Reclamation
Washington, D.C.

Camille Calimlim Touton was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 4, 2021, as the 24th commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation. Commissioner Touton returned to the Department of the Interior in January with the Biden-Harris Administration as Reclamation’s deputy commissioner, serving in that capacity until her confirmation. Prior to her appointment as deputy commissioner, she served as professional staff for the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She was the staff lead on the resiliency provisions enacted as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020.

Commissioner Touton’s congressional experience also includes serving as professional staff for the Interior’s authorization committees – the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. She also served as the Interior’s deputy assistant secretary for Water and Science under the Obama Administration. She is only the second U.S. Senate-confirmed female commissioner in Reclamation’s 119-year history and the first Filipino American confirmed by the Senate to lead a bureau in the Department of the Interior. Commissioner Touton earned a Master of Public Policy from George Mason University and Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and Bachelor of Arts in communication studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Karen Chapman

Coordinator
Rio Grande Joint Venture (RGJV)
Alpine, TX

For 30 years, Karen has served in a variety of leadership positions with non-profit environmental organizations including the National Audubon Society, Texas Center for Policy Studies, Environmental Defense Fund, and now with the American Bird Conservancy. Her work focused on ecosystems along the Texas-Mexico border as well as the Great Lakes, and encompassed environmental education, endangered species habitat restoration, habitat management, border environmental and water policy, and managing on-farm research projects aimed at reducing climate impacts. She has served on numerous boards and advisory committees, including as a member of the Good Neighbor Environmental Board and as Chair of the National Advisory Committee to the EPA under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation. She graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a B.S. in Communication and minor in Spanish and served for two years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer for the rural youth agriculture program in Ecuador, South America.

Jennifer Faler

Albuquerque Area Office Manager
Bureau of Reclamation
Albuquerque, NM

Jennifer has more than 30 years of experience working on water resource and environmental issues both in the federal government and private sector. After completing her master’s degree in civil and environmental Engineering at the University of California, Davis, Jennifer worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an environmental engineer and project manager, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Program as a state engineer, environmental and GIS coordinator, the Natural Resource Conservation Service as a wetland team engineer, and as the president of Integrated Technical Services Corp. On behalf of Reclamation, she served as the Implementation Branch Chief and Acting Executive Director for the Trinity River Restoration Program before coming to the Albuquerque Area Office in 2011 to serve as the Deputy Area Manager and Area Manger. Jennifer is a registered professional engineer in California.

Tolani Francisco

Wild Horse and Burro Coordinator
Southwestern Region
U.S. Forest Service
Albuquerque, NM

Dr. Francisco is a 1990 graduate of Kansas State University. Currently, she is the Wild Horse and Burro Coordinator for the US Forest Service in Albuquerque, NM. Prior, she spent 14.5 years in Colorado, first in the US Air Force as a Public Health Officer, then as the Regional Epidemiology Officer, USDA APHIS VS. She spent two years in Trinidad, Bolivia with the USDA APHIS International Services overseeing Foot and Mouth Disease eradication efforts. In the 1990’s she spent 6 years in NM and Helena, MT as a section VMO, USDA APHIS VS. She started her veterinary career in a mixed animal practice in Reno, NV. Every Saturday, she offers veterinary care for tribal animals at the Pueblo of Laguna through her 501c3 organization, Native Healing LLC. Her most recent honor was to be named Distinguished Alumni 2022 from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University.

Sarah Haas

Deputy Chief, Science & Resource Management
Grand Canyon National Park
National Park Service
Flagstaff, AZ

Sarah is the Deputy Chief of Science & Resource Management at Grand Canyon National Park. She works to support several resource programs including Native Fish Ecology & Conservation, Data Management and Analytics, Geosciences and Research projects within the park. Sarah studied Physical Anthropology and Renewable Natural Resources at the University of Arizona, and Wildlife Ecology at Mississippi State University, where she earned a master’s degree. Sarah is a generalist by nature and enjoys the complex intersection of people, resource challenges, balancing management with visitor access, and striving to protect our national treasures in a rapidly changing environment. Sarah has worked for the National Park Service since 2008, enjoying Bryce Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks prior to arriving at Grand Canyon. She lives with her husband and their two boys in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Matt Hurteau

Professor
Department of Biology
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM

Matthew Hurteau is a Professor of Quantitative Ecology at the University of New Mexico. He has a BS in Forestry from Northern Arizona University and a PhD in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. His research focus is on climate change mitigation and adaptation in forest systems. He uses empirical and simulation data to better understand how changing climate and disturbance influence species distributions, productivity, and carbon dynamics.

Casey Ish

Conservation Program Supervisor
Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District
Albuquerque, NM

Casey Ish was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in Fresh Water Conservation and Management and a master’s with concentrations in Water and Natural Resource Law from the University of New Mexico’s School of Law. Prior to working at the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, he worked for a private lake and stream consulting firm in Albuquerque. Casey has been with the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District since 2019 and is currently their Conservation Program Supervisor.

Seth Munson

Research Ecologist
Southwest Biological Sciences Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Flagstaff, AZ

Seth Munson is an ecologist with the Southwest Biological Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. His research focuses on plant-soil interactions in dryland ecosystems and how these interactions are affected by climate and land use changes. Much of Dr. Munson's research aims to understand the dynamics of dryland ecosystems at long temporal and broad spatial scales and employs a multidisciplinary approach. His work seeks to improve the management of arid and semi-arid lands, including determining effective ecological restoration strategies, and is done in close collaboration with several land management agencies.

Jennifer Owen-White

Refuge Manager
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Albuquerque, NM

Jennifer Owen-White is the first Refuge Manager of the new Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Valle de Oro is the first urban refuge built from the ground up under the Urban Wildlife Conservation Program as part of a larger push by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reach urban audiences and connect them to the important habitats and wildlife that the Service protects. Through community, restoration, and environmental justice, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge strives to grow a safe place for both people and wildlife.

Mohamed Abd Salam El Vilaly

Research and Outreach Officer
G20 Global Land Initiative
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
UN Campus, Bonn, Germany

Mohamed Abd Salam EL Vilaly leads Information Management for the G20 Global Land Initiative. He received a B.Sc. in water resources management from the University of Nouakchott, Mauritania in 2001, a M.Sc. degree in groundwater management from the University of Grenoble, France, in 2003, a M.Sc. degree in hydrology from the University of Avignon and the Vaucluse, France, in 2004, and a Ph.D. in applied remote sensing for Earth Sciences from the University of Arizona in 2013. Dr. Abd Salam has over 18 years of work experience in the United Nations, humanitarian, academic, and private sectors. His research focuses on integrating and analyzing multitemporal airborne and satellite remote sensing data with GIS technologies to monitor and model human-environment interactions across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. More specifically, Abd Salam’s work intersects big data analytics, decision-making, planning and management, and the development of online data and knowledge exploration tools and platforms.

Francisco Zamora

Senior Director of Programs
Sonoran Institute
Tucson, AZ

Francisco Zamora Arroyo joined the Sonoran Institute in April 2002 to manage activities in the Delta of the Colorado River. He is responsible for integrating community stewardship, applied science, and local values in an alliance to reform water policy, conserve and restore priority areas, and build knowledge and capacity for collaboration between water managers and local leaders. Dr. Zamora has developed close relationships with Mexican and U.S. agencies involved in water and land management and communicates frequently with regional or national officials dealing with issues in the Colorado River Delta. He spends time in the field working with communities, visiting potential restoration areas, and doing field research and restoration work. He obtained his Ph.D. in resource geography from Oregon State University in October 2002. He also holds a master’s degree in marine resource management from Oregon State University and a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography from Autonomous University of Baja California.

Fahmida Khatun

Hydrologist/H&H Modeler
Restoration Sciences Branch
South Florida Natural Resources Center
National Park Service
Boynton Beach, FL

Fahmida Khatun has more than 19 years’ experience working on Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Projects (CERP), America’s largest restoration project. She has worked for federal government (Department of the Interior, DOI), State government (South Florida Water Management District, SFWMD) and private sectors (Parsons Water & Infrastructure Corporation and DHI Groups, Inc.). She is a key Hydrologic and Hydraulic (H&H) Modeler at Interagency Modeling Center (IMC) for 19 years. She served as the former IMC Program Manager overseeing CERP modeling. Currently, she is working as a Hydrologist and Ecosystem Modeler at South Florida Natural Resource Center, Everglades National Park, National Park Services. Formerly, she was a Principal Engineer and H&H Modeler at SFWMD. In the beginning of her career, she taught Water Resources Engineering for 5 years in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). He received her B.Sc. (Civil Engineering) from BUET, where she also received her M.Sc in Water Resources Engineering. She received M.Sc. in Computer Aided Engineering from Carnegie Melon University. She is a registered Professional Engineer in Florida and a certified Project Management Professional.

Gina Paduano Ralph

Science Integration Branch Chief
Planning Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Jacksonville, FL

Gina Paduano Ralph has served the public for more than 20-years working with Martin County, Florida, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, and the Engineering and Research Development Center. She has worked with the Corps since 2009 in various roles including Lead Scientist, Research Ecologist, Environmental Branch Chief, South Florida Section Chief, and Coastal Navigation Section Chief, incorporating sound science into decision making for Corps’ Civil Works initiatives.

She currently is the Chief of the Science Integration Branch and the Restoration, Coordination and Verification (RECOVER) Program Manager for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. She holds a doctorate in ecology and conservation biology from Florida Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in zoology from Connecticut College and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Rollins College. Dr. Ralph is a graduate of the Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute and is a skilled leader in conflict management, facilitation, and communication for those working in natural resource management.

Sarah Greenberger

Associate Deputy Secretary
Department of the Interior
Washington DC, Baltimore Area

Sarah Greenberger serves as the Associate Deputy Secretary for the Department of the Interior. Prior to joining the Biden Administration, she was the senior vice president for conservation policy at the National Audubon Society after serving at the Interior for five years, driving strategy and policy for the Department as a counselor and senior advisor to Secretaries Ken Salazar and Sally Jewell. She has also served as legislative counsel to Senator Ben Cardin and was a clerk to Judge David S. Tatel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Williams College and her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Honorable Michael L. Connor

Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works)

The Honorable Michael L. Connor was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) on November 29th, 2021, and serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Army on all matters related to the Army’s Civil Works Program. In this role, he establishes policy direction and provides supervision of Department of the Army functions relating to all aspects of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works program. These responsibilities include programs for conservation and development of the nation's water and wetland resources, flood control, navigation, and shore protection, all important aspects of the President’s climate resilience priorities.

Mr. Connor has served in a variety of positions in the federal government as well as in the private sector. Prior to his confirmation, he was a partner at the WilmerHale law firm, focusing on natural resources, renewable energy development, environmental compliance and Native American law.

During the Obama administration, Mr. Connor served as the Deputy Secretary of the Interior, where he was the Chief Operating Officer, leading the Secretary’s strategy to carry out the department’s mission to protect and manage the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provide scientific and other information about those resources; and honor its trust responsibilities to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated Island Communities. Mr. Connor was the first person of Native American descent to serve in that position.

Prior to that role, Mr. Connor served as Commissioner of the U.S Bureau of Reclamation, where he led the agency’s mission to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.

Mr. Connor has also served as Counsel to the United States Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He started his career with the Department of the Interior in 1993, serving in the Solicitor’s Office, and as the Director of the Indian Water Rights Office.

Mr. Connor has a law degree from the University of Colorado Law School, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from New Mexico State University.

Darcy Austin

Science Manager
State Water Contractors (SWC)
Sacramento, CA

Darcy Austin has been working on San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers Delta (Bay-Delta) issues for 20 years, combining her background in contaminants with a love for California water issues and an appreciation of the nexus between ecology and water supply. Darcy holds a BS in Biology with an emphasis in Microbiology and Parasitology from Colorado State University, and a Master of Public Health with an emphasis in Environmental Health and Toxicology from San Diego State University.

She has spent most of her career working on systems and processes that apply best science practices to management issues throughout California. Since coming to work for the State Water Contractors (SWC) in 2018, Darcy has overseen the funding of over $10m for research projects focused on knowledge gaps in the Bay-Delta system and the watersheds. This investment in research seeks to reduce uncertainties around how an estuarine ecosystem can thrive while also serving as water supply for 27 million Californians and irrigation supply for over 750,000 acres of farmland. One of the key elements of recreating a thriving ecosystem is restoration of thousands of acres of tidal marsh and floodplain habitats in the Delta, as well as salmonid habitat in upstream rivers and tributaries. Outside the office Darcy enjoys spending time with her two sons, teaching yoga, gardening, and traveling.

Matthew C. Harwell

Supervisor
Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch
Pacific Ecological Systems Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Newport, OR

Dr. Matthew Harwell is a Supervisory Ecologist with the US EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Matt has spent nearly three decades working on restoration science in multiple systems including Chesapeake Bay, Lake Okeechobee, South Florida and the Greater Everglades, the Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Northwest. Matt’s areas of specialization include ecosystem restoration, ecosystem services, ecosystem assessment, integration and communication of science for decision makers, and adaptive management. Matt was a founding Board Member of the Large-Scale Ecosystem Restoration of the Society for Ecological Restoration. In his current role, Matt helps lead US EPA's Office of Research and Development's national research portfolio on translating ecosystem services science to in different environmental decision contexts, including ecosystem restoration.

J. Michael Chavarria

Govenor
Santa Clara Pueblo

J. Michael Chavarria is a longtime resident and member of Santa Clara Pueblo. Governor Chavarria has served in many roles within the Pueblo of Santa Clara Tribal Government.

J. Michael Chavarria has been elected to the position of Governor for 13 one-year terms, serving in 2006–2008 and then re-elected in 2014–Present (2023). Governor Chavarria currently serves in the capacity of the Chairman for the Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council (ENIPC).

As Governor, Mr. Chavarria continues to work on the various restoration efforts of the Santa Clara Creek watershed stemming from the 2011 Las Conchas Fire and post-fire flooding impacts, and he advocates for the continuation and growth of tribal programs to protect Pueblo lands, resources, and the environment.

As the forestry director, Governor Chavarria served as the tribal coordinator for the emergency response efforts during the Las Conchas Fire and subsequent flooding events which devastated the Pueblo’s natural resources, traditional cultural properties, infrastructure, and threatened homes in the community. Governor Chavarria established a project team of Pueblo departments and other federal entities, including FEMA, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife, Forest Service, and the BIA, as well as the State of New Mexico Homeland Security, to consolidate efforts and establish mitigation and restoration schedules for the Pueblo.

Governor Chavarria has served five terms as the Tribal Co-chair for the EPA Region VI Tribal Operations Committee. Through this position, he has worked with other tribes in the region to identify issues during the caucus and then pressed the environmental issues of concern during the committee meetings. Governor Chavarria has also used this role to educate Regional Administrators Richard Greene and Al Armendariz on unique aspects of tribal government and history that should inform the federal decision-making process. As Tribal Co-chair Governor Chavarria gathered a tribal team to create the Region VI Transition Document, which currently serves to educate EPA officials on both a regional and national level.

Tina Marie Osceola

Director
Tribal Historic Preservation Office
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Naples, FL

Tina Marie Osceola, an enrolled member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, serves as both the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and the Interim Executive Director of Operations for the Tribe. Osceola is a graduate of Rollins College, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science, and of Nova Southeastern University, where she received a Master's in Public Administration. Osceola has served her Tribe in many capacities, including being appointed an Associate Trial Judge on the first Tribal Court. Osceola has proudly served both her Tribe and others in Indian Country by serving on national boards such as the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association, and the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. Osceola is also a lifetime member of the National Congress of American Indians and an advocate for the advancement and protection of tribal sovereignty. Osceola is a lifelong resident of Naples, Florida, where she lives with her family.

Nicholas G. Aumen

Regional Science Advisor - South Florida
U.S. Geological Survey
Loxahatchee, FL

Nick Aumen is Regional Science Advisor for the U.S. Geological Survey (Southeast Region), overseeing the Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystem Sciences program. This program, involving USGS scientists nationwide, provides high quality science in support of Everglades restoration. Nick was an aquatic ecologist for 15 years with Everglades National Park, leading an interagency team of scientists tracking restoration progress. Prior to his National Park Service position, Nick was the Research Director at the South Florida Water Management District, directing a team of 120-plus scientists conducting research in support of ecosystem restoration. Nick received his B.S. and M.S. in biology at the University of West Florida, and his Ph.D. in microbial ecology at Oregon State University. He was a faculty member in the Biology Department at the University of Mississippi and was a tenured Associate Professor of Biology when he returned to Florida. Nick presently is an affiliate faculty member at Florida Atlantic University (Department of Geosciences), and at the University of Florida (Soil and Water Science Department). He also served five years on the national Board of Directors of the Sierra Club, a 120-yr-old environmental organization with more than 750,000 members and served two terms as its Vice-President and one as Treasurer.

Matt Grabau

NCER Conference Chair and Adaptive Management Group Manager
Bureau of Reclamation
Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program and
Past President, Society for Ecological Restoration Large Scale Ecosystem Restoration Section (LERS)
Tucson, AZ

Matt Grabau has more than 15 years’ experience working on restoration projects, primarily along the Colorado River in the U.S. and Mexico. He has worked for federal agencies, a non-governmental organization, and as a consultant for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCR MSCP) and Minutes 319 and 323 of the US-Mexico Water Treaty. His expertise includes restoration ecohydrology and restoration program management. Matt began working with the Bureau of Reclamation in 2023 as the LCR MSCP’s Adaptive Management Group Manager. Prior to joining Reclamation, he worked for seven years as a Science Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, most recently developing a strategy for species conservation in the Southwest to reduce the need to list under the federal Endangered Species Act. Before that, Matt worked for over ten years on riparian and estuarine restoration, research, and planning efforts along the Lower Colorado River. He received his B.S. (Wildlife Science) from the University of Arizona, where he also received his master’s and PhD in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.

Secretary Deb Haaland

U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.

Secretary Deb Haaland is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. She made history when she became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. Throughout her career in public service, Secretary Haaland has broken barriers and opened the doors of opportunity for future generations. She was elected one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress and was the first Native American woman to lead a state political party in the country. Secretary Haaland was raised in a military family, and is an alumnus of the University of New Mexico with both a B.A. and a J.D.

Aimee Roberson

Director - Southwest Region
American Bird Conservancy
Rio Arriba County, NM

Aimee Roberson is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and also of Chickasaw descent. She is the Director of American Bird Conservancy’s Southwest Region, serves on the boards of the Big Bend Conservation Alliance, the Rio Grande Joint Venture, and the Sonoran Joint Venture, and is a founding member of the Indigenous Kinship Circle and Regalia Making Relatives. Aimee is a lifelong student of Earth’s wisdom, and holds degrees in geology and conservation biology. Committed to reciprocity, community, and responsible stewardship of ecosystems and Indigenous lifeways, she collaborates with nature and people to ensure that native grasses grow and rivers continue to flow. Aimee provides leadership to organizations and partnerships in co-creating a vision, integrating cultural values and ecological knowledge with science for meaningful decision-making, and implementing shared strategies for stewardship of wildlife, water, and ecosystems. Aimee is learning Chahta anumpa (Choctaw language) and enjoys growing traditional foods, such as Chikashsha tanchi homma (Chickasaw red corn) and isito (Choctaw sweet potato squash) with her family.

Beth Miller-Tipton

Director
UF/IFAS Office of Conferences & Institutes
Gainesville, FL

Beth has served as Director of the University of Florida/IFAS Office of Conferences and Institutes (OCI) for the past 30 years. She has been a guiding force, providing leadership to a creative and devoted planning team whose mission is to unite scientists and professionals focused on a common purpose so they can make a positive impact on the world around them. In addition to management responsibilities, Beth also coordinates several large scientific conferences, including NCER. Beth received a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations from the University of Florida.

Amber Inggs

Civil Engineer/Hydrologist, Environmental Science Associates (ESA) and Past President, Large Scale Ecosystem Restoration Section (LERS)
Santa Barbara, CA

Amber Inggs specializes in engineering design and analyses that promote abundant wildlife & protect us humans amongst nature’s challenges. Restoring and protecting our coastlines, tidal habitats, and rivers is her passion, along with adapting to climate change with a positive perspective.

Amber is a professionally licensed Civil Engineer (PE) and Hydrologist with 10 years of experience. She grew up in the ocean in South Florida, and when she graduated from University, she learned and practiced conservation and ecological restoration in Fiji, Indonesia, the Bahamas, New Zealand, and South Africa. Her home and focus now is Southern California. From her anchor on the Santa Barbara coast, she supports and manages restoration design projects, sea-level rise and climate change vulnerability assessments/adaptation plans, coastal hazard assessments, and adaptation monitoring projects. Her skill set includes modeling and analysis of dynamic hydrologic and hydrodynamic tidal, fluvial, and coastal systems, collecting and managing geospatial datasets, and drafting and preparing construction documents.

Matt Whiles

Chair
UF/IFAS Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences
Gainesville, FL

Dr. Matt Whiles is Professor and Chair of the Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences Department at the University of Florida. Leading a department of forty-eight faculty members, including sixteen at Research and Extension Centers located throughout the state. Before moving to UF, Whiles was a Professor at Southern Illinois University (SIU), where he directed the Center for Ecology and the Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory. Matt holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, a masters in Entomology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Matt’s research focuses on quantifying the roles of animals in freshwater ecosystem function. He has led numerous large, collaborative projects, including the Tropical Amphibian Declines in Streams (TADS) project examining the ecological consequences of amphibian declines. He has worked closely with agencies and NGOs on stream and wetland management and restoration and served on numerous panels guiding management of freshwater habitats.

Chadwin Smith

President
Headwaters Corporation
Kearney, NE

Chad is President of Headwaters Corporation and specializes in working at the nexus of science and policy in large, complex resource management programs. He has worked on several large-scale endangered species recovery and ecosystem restoration programs throughout the United States over the past 25+ years including the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, the Trinity River Restoration Program, the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Recovery Program, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program, the Missouri River Recovery Program, and restoration efforts in coastal Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. His expertise includes adaptive management (AM), adaptive governance (AG), review of restoration program structure and function, decision analysis, data synthesis, and engaging multiple stakeholders. Chad holds a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife and a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Science/Adaptive Management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University-Bloomington.

Ryan Clark

Program Manager
Halff, Inc.
Baton Rouge, LA

Ryan has over 20 years of experience in water resources science and coastal ecosystem restoration. He has extensive project experience, with a focus in management of transdisciplinary teams on large, complex research and development projects for both government and private sector clients. His technical work focuses on restoration program management, ecological flows, and coastal ecosystem restoration planning. He has served on the NCER Planning Committee since 2014 and was the Co-Chair of the NCER 2018 conference. He earned a BS in Geology from Louisiana State University, and an MS in Earth & Environmental Science from Tulane University. He is a Program Manager at Halff, and lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is a licensed Professional Geoscientist in Louisiana and Texas.

Jake Palazzi

New Mexico Tribal Liaison
South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center
Albuquerque, NM

Jake Palazzi is the New Mexico, Tribal Climate Science Liaison with SC CASC. In New Mexico he seeks to connect Tribal Nations and their staff with relationships, tools, and opportunities to improve their adaptation to climate change. Jake grew up near the Salish Sea in Washington State. Spending a lot of time outdoors when he was younger gave him a strong appreciation for the importance of creating climate change solutions. His background and professional work have left him convinced of the importance of an Indigenous inclusive and holistic approach to climate change adaptation and natural resource management. Jake has experience in ecological fieldwork and has studied and practiced science communication for many years.

Genevieve Johnson

Manager
Bureau of Reclamation
Project and Program Office
Boulder City, NV

With nearly 20 years in Federal Service, Genevieve Johnson brings a wealth of diverse experience contributing to her leadership and results-oriented approach to managing complex environmental and water resource challenges. Currently serving as the manager of the Bureau of Reclamation's Lower Colorado Basin Region Project and Program Office, Genevieve plays a crucial role in providing operational leadership and facilitating the development of solutions for intricate issues related to water, power, and environmental resources.

Recent achievements include being recognized by the White House and Department of the Interior leadership for leading the development of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to the 2007 Interim Guidelines. This accomplishment, achieved on an expedited schedule, demonstrates Genevieve's commitment to addressing critical infrastructure protection and responding to the challenges of worsening drought conditions.

Roque Sánchez

Senior Advisor
Bureau of Reclamation
Washington D.C.

Roque Sánchez joins the Interior after serving as policy advisor for the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy and startup facilitator for the Office of Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration, Roque worked in several roles to advance climate resilience and clean energy, including at High Water Mark, a Native American, woman-owned environmental consulting firm; the Rice University School of Engineering; and President Obama’s White House Office of Energy and Climate Change. He holds degrees in civil and environmental engineering from Rice University and was raised in the Rio Grande valley of New Mexico.

Sharon Hausam

Climate Adaptation Planner & Research Scientist
South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center
Albuquerque, NM

Sharon Hausam is a Climate Adaptation Planner and Research Scientist at the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center. Her professional practice and research focus on climate resilience strategies, climate justice, community-based and collaborative planning, and Indigenous and tribal sovereignty and knowledges. Prior to joining the CASC she served as the Planning Program Manager for the Pueblo of Laguna and a planner for the Pueblo of Sandia. Dr. Hausam is also adjunct faculty in the Community and Regional Planning Department at the University of New Mexico. She lives and works between the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande on traditional Southern Tiwa Pueblo land, currently known as Albuquerque.

Anna Weinberg

Aquatic Restoration Coordinator
Conservation and Adaptation Resources Toolbox (CART)
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ

Anna Weinberg is the University Co-Director of the Conservation and Adaptation Resources Toolbox (CART) and a Research Scientist in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona. Anna coordinates CART’s Aquatic Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions Communities of Practice. She has a background in science communication and community-based conservation, and she holds a degree in Conservation Biology and Zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Genevieve Allan

Planning Group Supervisor
Bureau of Reclamation
Albuquerque Area Office
Water Management Division
Albuquerque, NM

Genevieve Allan is a Project Manager in the Bureau of Reclamation Albuquerque Area Office’s Water Management Division. In this role, she manages the Rio Grande Project Area Drought Resilience Team and the Title XVI program for the office, serves as a facilitator for the Rio Grande-focused stakeholder advisory committee of the South-Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, and is a hydrologic modeler. Prior to this role she worked in Reclamation's Lower Colorado Basin Region as a Hydrologist, focusing on operations and hydrologic modeling of Colorado River reservoirs. She is originally from Denver, North Carolina and received a BS in Geological Science from the University of North Carolina and will graduate with an MS in Water Resource Management from the University of Nevada Las Vegas this year.

Becky Kirby

Southwestern Region Wildlife Ecologist
U.S. Forest Service
Albuquerque, NM

Becky is the Regional Wildlife Ecologist for the Southwestern Region of the US Forest Service. She provides wildlife science guidance and support to the region’s forests, focused on developing effective research-management partnerships. Previously, she worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in California, partnering with land management agencies and private landowners in the Sierra on endangered species conservation and regulation. Becky earned her PhD (2016) and MS (2010) from UW-Madison, and her BA (2005) from Washington University in St. Louis.

Elroy Masters

National Wildlife Program Lead
Bureau of Land Management
Washington, DC

As National Lead, Elroy's responsible for administering a national wildlife program covering the 245 million acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). His duties include providing policy and budget direction, maintaining relationship with State, Federal and Tribal partners in managing wildlife resources. Elroy has 33 years with the BLM primarily as a wildlife and fishery biologist. During his career, Elroy has and will continue to focus on supporting the ground wildlife management actions to achieve conservation goals. This includes working to ensuring habitat support and healthy wildlife and fish populations. Wildlife is fully considered along with other multiple uses of public lands.

Leslie Hay

SW Region Wildlife Program Leader
U.S. Forest Service
Albuquerque, NM

Dr. Leslie Hay has been a Wildlife Biologist for over 25 years, having received her Master’s degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Florida, and her PhD in Wildlife Ecology and Social Dimensions from the University of Idaho. In her previous federal career, she served as a Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Forest Service on the Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon. Leslie also served in the National Park Service, Pacific Islands Inventory & Monitoring Program in the Hawaiian Islands as Program Manager, Ecologist, and Science Communications program leader. Leslie left Federal Service for 8 years for a “bucket list” goal of working as a University Professor, due to her love of teaching and wildlife ecology research. During this tenure, she developed an international non-profit in Costa Rica that focuses on monitoring of jaguar and tropical forest wildlife in 3 national parks/biological preserves. The non-profit, Jaguar Bridges, also works extensively with conservation partnerships, and local communities with environmental education and outreach. This project is what Leslie does on her “spare time” in Costa Rica. However, after making a complete circle through working in other agencies, teaching as a university professor, and conducting wildlife research, Leslie has returned to work for the US Forest Service as the Regional Wildlife Program Leader in Albuquerque. She and her family have settled in Los Chaves and enjoy horses and the farm life on the weekends, as well as exploring the Southwest, and conducting ecological research and environmental education in Costa Rica.