
Courtney Skalley
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, M.M.A.
- Ryan Kelly, Ingrid Spies, Luke Tornabene
- Texas Christian University, B.A. in Biology
I am researching Alaskan skates, a disk-shaped fish that looks similar to stingrays and lives on the seafloor. In 2021, NOAA researchers conducted a genetic analysis on skate embryos from a Bering Sea nursery (a place where skates lay their eggs) and discovered a new species of skate, closely related to the well-known Alaska skate. The embryos showed no visible differences from Alaska skate embryos; however, the appearance of the adults remains unknown. Without this information, we cannot distinguish it from the Alaska skate for management purposes. The objective of my thesis is to describe the adults of this species. To do this, I am using molecular techniques to analyze adult Alaska skate specimens housed at the UW Fish Collection. If we find the species of interest, then we will describe its physical characteristics so that fishermen, researchers, and at-sea fisheries observers can successfully identify and manage it.
- Speciation and geophylogenetics of Alaskan skates
- North Pacific
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, M.M.A.

Adam Sokol
- Atmospheric Sciences, PhD
- Dennis Hartmann
- Yale University, BS (Environmental Engineering and Geology & Geophysics)
The tropical atmosphere is churned relentlessly by deep convection, in which air from Earth’s surface rises upwards through the atmosphere like bubbles in a boiling pot of water. Through its impact on clouds and water vapor, deep convection has an enormous effect on the global energy budget, yet it remains a major source of uncertainty in our understanding of future climate change. I use satellite observations and high-resolution atmospheric models to investigate how tropical convection is affected by anthropogenic warming. Specifically, I seek to understand the large-scale interactions between convection and sea surface temperature patterns as well as the effects of warming on the spectrum of convectively generated clouds.
- Tropical Convection, Circulation, and High Clouds in a Warming Climate
- Tropical Regions
- Atmospheric Sciences, PhD

Aina Hori
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, MMA
- Erendira Aceves Bueno
- University of Washington, BS in Marine Biology
My research highlights the benefits and importance of integrating local ecological knowledge into fisheries management. I am currently working to better understand how small-scale fishers’ observations of historical changes in target species abundance near Islas Marías, Mexico compare to Government of Mexico landing reports. I also hope to understand the social and environmental factors to which fishers attribute these changes as they are key narrative elements to the Islas Marias ecosystem.
- Integrating Local Ecological Knowledge to Illuminate the Historical Narrative of Target Species
- Nayarit, Mexico
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, MMA

Amy Wyeth
- Oceanography, Ph.D.
- Julie Keister and Daniel Grunbaum
- Bates College, B.S.
My research looks at the effects of environmental stressors (such as changes in temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH) on zooplankton populations. Zooplankton are a critical link in the marine food web that support higher trophic levels, including economically important fisheries. I use a combination of field work, laboratory experiments, and video analyses to understand how environmental stressors drive changes in zooplankton behaviors and population distributions. The driving goal of my research is to develop new understandings and monitoring tools that allow us to predict and adapt to changing coastal systems.
- Investigating the effects of environmental stress on coastal zooplankton populations: from mechanistic drivers to trophic impacts
- Puget Sound
- Oceanography, Ph.D.

Aspen Coyle
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, MS
- Steven Roberts
- Bowdoin College, BA
My research focuses on the host-parasite complex of Alaskan snow and Tanner crab and the parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium. Over the past decade, rates of the infection – which is eventually fatal – have climbed rapidly. My work seeks to understand both the internal dynamics of the infections and the environmental and population variables associated with infection. I’m accomplishing the former through analysis of gene expression over time in infected and uninfected crabs at various temperatures. For the latter, I’m using Alaska Department of Fish and Game survey data to model factors associated with visual presence of Hematodinium infections.
- Alaska
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, MS

Brendan Wallace
- Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management, MS
- Andrew Berdahl
- Brown University, BS (Applied Math/Biology), University of Washington, MS (Applied Math)
I use computational and agent-based models alongside traditional applied math approaches to understand a diversity of complex systems. I’m especially interested in disease dynamics, collective animal movement, and urban traffic and mobility.
- Dynamics of "problem-place" disease spread
- Tropical regions
- Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management, MS

Christina Bjarvin
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Ph.D.
- Indroneil Ganguly
- Western Washington University (BS), University of Washington (MS)
I analyze the carbon footprints of sustainably-sourced wood products and buildings. Wood products can serve as an excellent climate change mitigation strategy when they are used instead of materials like concrete and steel, since wood products typically have much lower carbon footprints, and have carbon stored inside them.
- Analyzing the Construction Waste Stream of Mass Timber Buildings
- Pacific Northwest, USA
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Ph.D.

Danielle Horne
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, MS
- Jon Bakker
- Bowdoin College, BA (Biology)
My research focuses on Wenatchee Mountains checkermallow (Sidalcea oregana var. calva, “SIORCA”), an endangered plant taxon found in central Washington. SIORCA is a narrowly distributed species that occurs in meadows and forest edges with high levels of moisture availability from spring into early summer. I am studying SIORCA’s microsite conditions to understand its habitat and growth requirements, particularly with respect to light availability and soil moisture. My research will assess soil conditions (moisture and texture), light availability, microtopography, and species associations, along with SIORCA abundance, size, and reproductive stages. Relating SIORCA variables to the suite of microsite characteristics will clarify why SIORCA grows where it does, allowing us to better protect existing populations and to identify sites where new populations could be established.
- Characterizing Microsite Conditions and Ecological Tolerance of the Endangered Wenatchee Mountains Checkermallow (Sidalcea oregana var. calva)
- Central Washington
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, MS

Georges Kanaan
- Oceanography, PhD
- Jody Deming & Jodi Young
- University of Toronto, BS (Computer Science and Cognitive Science)
I develop mathematical models to understand how bacteria survive in cold, saline, and isolated environments in Arctic permafrost. I model the energetics of the microbial community; I try to figure out how much food is available to the microbes and how much they need to consume to survive. My work is relevant to understanding the limits of life and is therefore relevant to the wider field of Astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrial life.
- Modelling bacteria survival in extreme environments
- Arctic Ocean
- Oceanography, PhD

Hannah Sipe
- Environmental and Forest Sciences, PhD
- Sarah Converse
- University of North Carolina Wilmington, BS (Marine Biology & Mathematics and Statistics)
The goal of my research is to use decision analysis to help inform species reintroduction and conservation management decisions using structured decision making for 3 case studies: vertebrate restoration to the island of Guam, management of a reintroduced population of hihi (Stichbird; Notiomystis cincta) in New Zealand, and Streaked Horned Lark (SHLA; Eremophila alpestris strigata) reintroductions in Washington State. Each case study has unique aspects but share common characteristics of difficult conservation decisions, including multiple management objectives, complex alternative structures, limited available information, and uncertainty in species responses to management actions. Together, these case studies will demonstrate how values-based decisions can be made by utilizing all available scientific information to improve the likelihood of successful outcomes. My work is directly applicable to management of the species considered and each case study’s framework was formulated based on collaborative input from managers, stakeholders, and scientific experts.
- Complexity, uncertainty, and risk in avian reintroduction decisions: case studies employing structured decision making
- Guam, New Zealand, Washington State
- Environmental and Forest Sciences, PhD

Helena McMonagle
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, PhD
- Tim Essington and Ray Hilborn
- Wellesley College (B.A. in Biological Sciences)
- Helena studies fish that live in the “twilight zone” — the layer of the ocean from about 200 to 1000 meters deep. Although there is little light and relatively low food density in the twilight zone compared to the surface ocean, this global habitat is home to the planet’s most abundant fish, including lanternfish and bristlemouths. These fish are largely unexploited to date, but there has been recent, renewed commercial interest in harvesting them for use in nutritional supplements and fishmeal. Before large-scale harvesting may begin, Helena is interested in further quantifying the role that these small but abundant fish play in the biological carbon pump, an important part of the marine carbon cycle, and in providing prey for animals higher in the food web such as tunas, swordfish, penguins, dolphins and seabirds.
- Quantifying and sustaining ecosystem services of mesopelagic fishes
- Atlantic Ocean
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, PhD

Hemalatha Velappan
- Environmental and Forest Sciences, PhD
- Indroneil Ganguly
- University of Washington, MPA (Environmental Policy)
I use remote sensing, machine learning, and other data analysis tools to identify, estimate, and analyze timber plantations in Tropical countries. I also use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques to understand the environmental impact of various wood products. Through these different researches, I’m trying to improve the sustainability and legality of the international wood and wood products trade.
- TBD
- Tropical Americas
- Environmental and Forest Sciences, PhD

Jenna Morris
- SEFS, PhD
- Brian Harvey
- UW, MS in SEFS in 2020; Whitworth University, BS in Biology in 2017
My graduate work explores the effects of disturbances (e.g., wildfire, insect outbreaks) on forests in the Pacific Northwest and U.S. Rocky Mountains, leveraging field studies, permanent plot networks, and landscape modeling to improve our ability to maintain resilient forest structure and function in a changing climate. My current PhD research is focused on anticipating future forest and fire dynamics in moist conifer forests west of the Cascade Mountain Crest in Washington and northern Oregon (‘northwestern Cascadia’). I am combining field data from recently burned areas across the region with a powerful landscape simulation model (iLand) to compare post-fire forest trajectories under future climate and management scenarios. This work will help land managers develop strategies for promoting climate adaptation and resource management goals in post-fire landscapes.
- Post-fire fuels, carbon, and vegetation trajectories in moist temperate forests: Implications for future fire and management
- Northwestern Cascadia (west of the Cascade Mountain Crest in Washington and northern Oregon)
- SEFS, PhD

Jezella Peraza
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, MS
- John Horne
- California State University, Monterey Bay, BS
I am developing an empirical and agent-based simulation model that estimates encounters and impacts between Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) and arbitrary axial- and cross-flow tidal turbine devices in Admiralty Inlet, WA. Potential impacts include collision, blade strike, and collision and blade strike sequentially. As the world transitions from fossil fuels, marine renewable energy technologies offer a reliable and sustainable alternative. My overall research goal is to quantify these potential impacts to enhance marine renewable development in the United States to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate climate change impacts.
- Empirical and agent-based probabilistic encounter models between fish and tidal turbine devices
- Puget Sound, WA
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, MS

John Morgan Manos
- Earth and Space Sciences, PhD
- Brad Lipovsky
- Ohio State University, BS (Atmospheric Sciences)
I use distributed fiber optic sensing equipment to make high spatiotemporal resolution geophysical measurements of glaciers and ice sheets. The goal of this work is to elucidate small scale mechanics of basal and englacial motion often missed by conventional geophysical sensing equipment. I want to answer the questions: how does englacial shear impact preservation of old basal ice and how do glaciers or ice sheets respond to a changing climate? To answer these questions, I have deployed to Antarctica, high alpine glaciers in Canada, and to glaciers locally in the Pacific Northwest.
- Distributed fiber optic sensing of glaciers and ice caps
- Polar Ice Caps and Alpine Glaciers
- Earth and Space Sciences, PhD

Keenan Ganz
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, MS
- Monika Moskal
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, BS in Computational Biology & Environmental Science
I am studying how the temperature of a forest canopy is related to long-term wildfire and tree mortality risk. We know that healthy plants are several degrees cooler than unhealthy plants, but there isn’t much research on how we can use that information to monitor the health of forests. I use drones, satellites, and really powerful computers to measure the temperature of forest canopies and determine if their current temperature is an indicator of future damage. In the long term, I want to develop long-term forecasts of forest health that will help forest managers anticipate wildfires and keep the public informed on the forests they love.
- Remote sensing in conifer forests: from needle to ecosystem
- Western US
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, MS

Leo Wahl
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, MS
- Sergey Rabotyagov
- SUNY-ESF, B.S. of Conservation Biology
I am interested in ecological policy impacts on landscape scales. I am currently examining the effects of buffer laws on ecological function, specifically on landscape connectivity as measured from satellite imagery classification.
- The Role of Buffer Strips in Promoting Landscape Connectivity in the American Corn Belt
- U.S. Corn Belt
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, MS

Mel Good
- Marine and Environmental Affairs, MMA
- P. Sean McDonald, Erendira Aceves Bueno
- University of California Santa Cruz, BS (Ecology & Evolutionary Bioloy)
I have worked with the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group, collecting local expert knowledge to create a conceptual model of the South Puget Sound Dungeness Crab fishery. With this conceptual model, I am working on the development of a qualitative network model that aims to identify vulnerabilities in the population and inform future management action to create a sustainable fishery.
- A qualitative network model for the sustainable management of Dungeness Crab (Metacarcinus magister) in South Puget Sound
- Puget Sound
- Marine and Environmental Affairs, MMA

Michelle Dvorak
- Oceanography, Ph.D.
- Kyle Armour
- University of Washington, MMA in Marine and Environmental Affairs
I study earth’s climate sensitivity using global climate models, with a focus on simulating past warm climate states and understanding the role of ocean dynamics in setting the global temperature response to GHGs.
- Global
- Oceanography, Ph.D.

Rachel Fricke
- Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, PhD
- Julian Olden
- University of Washington, BS (Aquatic and Fishery Sciences) and BA (Environmental Studies)
Lakes and reservoirs support critical ecosystem functions, provide numerous goods and services, and contribute to sustainable local and regional communities. Given lakes’ multidimensional role in bolstering human well-being, understanding human use of them over large scales of space and time is critical for lake valuation and conservation. My dissertation work leverages multiple streams of social media and cellular location data to quantify the distribution of human activity on waterbodies in western Washington. In addition, I also aim to classify the specific cultural ecosystem services associated with lake use through machine learning-based analysis of post text and images. By exploring applications of cellular data toward mapping human recreation across vast landscapes, I hope to demonstrate the utility of this underutilized data source for enhancing public resource management.
- Emerging technologies to assess human benefits from and risks to water resources
- Lakes in the Pacific Northwest
- Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, PhD

Tamara Aranguiz
- Earth and Space Sciences, PhD
- Alison Duvall & Brendan Crowell
- University of Chile, BS (Geology)
My research focuses on understanding the interaction between active tectonics (geologic faults) and surface processes (erosion and deposition). Currently, my study area is in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile, a place that is extremely arid and deformed by faults. Some of the questions that I want to answer are: How do arid environments record changes in climate and tectonics? How fast are these faults moving? What indicators from the landscape are key to understanding these processes? I use techniques from geomorphology, geodesy and geochronology, combining numerical modeling and fieldwork observations.
- Interactions between active tectonics and surface processes
- Subduction Zones, Northern Chile
- Earth and Space Sciences, PhD

Tongxin Cai
- Oceanography, PhD
- Zhongxiang Zhao and Eric D'Asaro
- Stanford University (MS in Environment Engineering); Sun Yat-sen University (BS in Marine Science)
- My present study looks at the dynamics of variable internal tidal waves in a changing ocean, utilizing both in-situ measurements and satellite altimetry data. Internal tidal waves are comparable to surface waves, but they occur in the ocean interior at tidal frequencies. The in-situ data comes from a variety of sources, including Argo floats, an international program that employs a fleet of robotic instruments that drift with ocean currents and move up and down between the surface and a mid-water level, and moorings, a collection of devices connected to a wire and anchored on the sea floor. The internal tide model is based on 27 years of satellite altimetry observation.
- Time‑Varying internal tides revealed by mooring measurements in SWOT Cal/Val pre‑Launch field campaign 2019
- Pacific Ocean
- Oceanography, PhD

Yiyu Ni
- Earth and Space Sciences, PhD
- Marine Denolle
- Jilin University, BS in Geophysics
The overall goal of my research is to advance our knowledge of monitoring earthquakes and near-surface structure by leveraging heterogeneous datasets from seismic stations and fiber-optic sensing. A core focus of my research is the development of cutting-edge tools that empower cloud computing for massive seismic data storing and processing. My recent study involves time-lapse imaging of shallow subsurface using a dark fiber in the northern Seattle region.
- Time-lapse Imaging of Shallow Subsurface with Dark Fiber in the Northern Seattle
- Seattle and Pacific Northwest
- Earth and Space Sciences, PhD