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National Coordinating Staff pictured at a Winter, 2012 retreat in Tucson, Arizona.
Staff
The USA-NPN's National Coordinating Office (NCO) guides the development of the Network, facilitates communication between scientists, land managers, policy-makers, and the public who are interested in assessing the effects of global change on natural ecological systems. Staff members work for the US Geological Survey, The University of Arizona and The Wildlife Society.
Jake Weltzin
Executive Director
USA National Phenology Network
National Coordinating Office
1955 E. Sixth St., Tucson, AZ 85721
jweltzin@usgs.gov
(520) 626-3821
Fax: (520) 621-7834
Full CV - Résumé
Phenology Publications
An Interview with Jake on LiveScience
Jake Weltzin assumed his position as Executive Director of the USA-NPN in August 2007. Jake’s interest in natural history developed as he grew up in Alaska and served as an exchange student in the Australian outback. He obtained his B.S. from Colorado State University, M.S. from Texas A&M University, and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Notre Dame, Jake went to the University of Tennessee, where he served as Assistant and then Associate Professor.
Jake is interested in how the structure and function of plant communities and ecosystems might respond to global environmental change, including atmospheric chemistry, climate change, and biological invasions. His research spans temperate and tropical grasslands and savannas, temperate woodlands, deciduous forest, and sub-boreal peatlands. His recent experience as a science administrator at the National Science Foundation underscored the need to foster large-scale science initiatives such as the USA-NPN. As its first Executive Director, Jake’s vision for USA-NPN is “to develop a continental-scale instrument for integrative assessment of global change that simultaneously serves as an outreach and educational platform for citizens and educators.”
Alyssa Rosemartin
Assistant Director
alyssa@usanpn.org
(520) 622-0363
Resume
Phenology Publications
Alyssa Rosemartin is the Assistant Director of the National Coordinating Office. In this role, she ensures the smooth operations of the NCO, contributes to planning, evaluation and partnership development, as well as garners and manages funds.
Alyssa received a B.A. in Spanish and environmental science in 2000 from Smith College and an M.S. in wildlife conservation and management from the University of Arizona's School of Natural Resources and the Environment in 2008. Her thesis explores the relationship between food availability and reproductive investment in terns, as well as breeding bird use of wetlands in the northern Gulf of California. Alyssa has twelve years of experience working in the field of natural resources, in education, science, IT and project management.
LoriAnne Barnett
Education Coordinator
lorianne@usanpn.org
(520) 622-0363
Full CV - Resume
Phenology Publications
Follow me on Twitter @loriannebarnett
LoriAnne Barnett coordinates the USA-NPN's education activities, focused on engaging a variety of formal and non-formal audiences in phenology and the Nature's Notebook program. She has worked in a number of educational settings over the last two decades, teaching both youth and adults the importance of place and connections to the natural world.
LoriAnne holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania and a M.A. in Environmental Science and Environmental Education from Prescott College in Arizona. She has also served as Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H Faculty where she designed experiential curriculum and programming in science and the outdoors, as well as other program areas, for youth ages 5-19. She has lead workshops on leadership development, Wilderness First Aid and outdoor adventure safety, and risk management. She has served as a chapter advisor to the Rivanna Master Naturalists in Virginia and is an advocate for citizen science, education and stewardship of the land.
Theresa Crimmins
Partnerships & Outreach Coordinator
theresa@usanpn.org
(520) 622-0363
Full CV
Phenology Publications
Follow me on Twitter @TheresaCrimmins
Theresa Crimmins coordinates the efforts of USA-NPN partners to achieve common phenology-related goals. She also leads communication with USA-NPN partners, Nature's Notebook participants, and the broader citizen science community, endeavoring to foster meaningful engagement.
Theresa obtained a B.S. in biology and an M.A. in geography from Western Michigan University and a Ph.D. in natural resources from the University of Arizona. Her research interests encompass plant response to global change, spatial analysis, and engaging citizen scientists of all ages in scientific discovery.
Ellen Denny
Monitoring Design & Data Coordinator
ellen@usanpn.org
Full CV
Phenology Publications
Ellen Denny coordinates the design and development of the USA-NPN’s protocols for the collection of standardized ground-based plant and animal phenology observations across the nation. She also serves as the scientific data manager for Nature’s Notebook data and other phenology data sets included in the National Phenology Database.
Ellen has a B.S. in Aquatic Biology from Brown University, an M.F.S. (Forest Science) from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, and spent a decade working at the interface of ecosystem ecology and information management before coming to the USA-NPN. Her interaction began as the co-founder and coordinator of the Northeast Regional Phenology Network, established in 2007 to support the efforts of the USA-NPN. Since then she has served the USA-NPN in various capacities, including helping to advise other developing regional phenology networks across the nation and internationally.
Kathy Gerst
Assistant Research Scientist
Data Product Coordinator
katgerst@email.arizona.edu
(520) 792-0571
Full CV
Phenology Publications
Kathy Gerst is a research scientist working with the Science and Applications Team. She conducts research and development for phenology data products derived from the National Phenology Database. Previously, she was a liaison with the California Phenology Project facilitating the implementation of plant phenology monitoring in California National Parks. In this role, she collaborated with agency and academic partners to develop project documentation, protocols, data summary and analysis products, and outreach materials.
Kathy received a B.S. in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution from UCLA in 2001. She completed her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 2011 at the University of Arizona where she carried out research on the evolutionary ecology, reproductive biology, and physiology of desert annual plants. Broadly, she is interested in understanding how species, communities, and populations respond to a variable and changing environment.
Patty Guertin
Botanist
pguertin@email.arizona.edu
(520) 792-0571
Patty Guertin is an in-house botanist at the National Coordinating Office in Tucson, Ariz. She assists with developing USA-NPN's plant and animal species’ profiles, focusing on gathering the necessary details for developing plant phenological protocols.
Having lived in many regions of the United States, and having investigated the local and regional flora of each area, Patty subsequently completed a B.S. in Plant Sciences at the University of Arizona. As a non-degree graduate student, she focused on field botany, GIS experience, and vegetation mapping and measurements. For the last 15 years, she has worked on vegetation and botanical projects as a field botanist and GIS specialist in the Southwest US, Texas and California, primarily for the national parks, focusing on non-native invasive plants and/or local flora.
Lee Marsh
IT Coordinator
Applications Programmer
lee@usanpn.org
Lee Marsh manages the development of tools and infrastructure, including servers, the National Phenology Database, web services, mobile apps and websites. He develops, enhances and maintains the USA-NPN's PHP and Java web applications, as part of the USA-NPN's IT team. He also plays a key role in data output and integration efforts.
Lee graduated from the University of Illinois, Springfield campus, with a B.S. in computer science, and has spent the last several years working for the private industry, including a regional startup and a Fortune 500 consulting firm. His interests include artificial intelligence and computer gaming systems.
Sharon Oliver
Administrative Associate
sharon@usanpn.org
(520) 792-0481
Sharon Oliver, Administrative Associate, manages the administrative details of the National Coordinating Office, including budget and travel processes, supports the planning of conferences and meetings, and works on special projects.
Sharon received a B.A. in psychology from the University of Arizona and brings a wide range of experience to her position. She worked for a number of years in the federal sector in administrative, professional and management positions. Most recently, she worked at the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece where she was part of the administrative team supporting the Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission.
Erin Posthumus
US Fish & Wildlife Service Liaison and Outreach Associate
erin@usanpn.org
Phenology Publications
Erin supports USA-NPN's outreach and engagement efforts through resource development and communication with observers. She is also the USA-NPN's liaison to the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and is working on a pilot project implementing phenology monitoring at the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Albuquerque.
A Seattle native, Erin received her B.A. in Environmental Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, then worked on a variety of field biology projects. She first came to the USA-NPN as a Peace Corps Fellow in 2010, during her graduate program in the University of Arizona's School of Natural Resources and the Environment. In 2013 she was awarded a Masters of Science for her research on wildlife species diversity at endangered red squirrel middens.
Sara Schaffer
Web Designer & Developer
sara@usanpn.org
(520) 792-0481
Sara Schaffer works for the USA-NPN as a Website designer and developer, working on website modifications using drupal. She has experience with graphic design, photography and publishing. She creates, formats and edits several of the documents produced by the NPN. Sara also provides support by completing various tasks related to daily operations and procedures. Her work varies depending on the tasks and events occurring in the NCO.
Sara is a born and raised Tucsonan, and received her B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Arizona in May 2010. She is currently working towards applying to graduate programs at the University, as well as Universities in Texas and California. In her free time, she enjoys the company of her dogs, traveling, and cycling.
Jessica Zelt
Program Coordinator
North American Bird Phenology Program
(301) 497-5745
Fax: (301) 497-5694
www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bpp/
Jessica Zelt coordinates the North American Bird Phenology Program (BPP) based at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. The BPP, with the help of volunteers worldwide, is digitally reviving a collection of 6 million bird migration cards from around North America, originally collected between 1880 and 1970. Jessica organizes all aspects of the program from volunteer coordination to management of the website and database and outreach.
Jessica obtained a B.S. in environmental science and policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has previously worked as a naturalist for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and as a research assistant for the Smithsonian’s Migratory Bird Center.