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Our Team

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Brian Mealor

IMAGINE Director and UW Plant Sciences

Brian is the director of the Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems and is an associated professor at the University of Wyoming. He has been working with various stakeholders and land managers to help reduce the spread of invasive annual grasses throughout the greater west. 

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Jaycie Arndt 

IMAGINE Coordinator and UW Extension

Jaycie is the UW Extension Invasive Grasses Specialist and coordinator for IMAGINE and NEWIGWG (Northeast Wyoming Invasive Grasses Working Group). Jaycie conducts rangeland and weed science research, develops educational materials, organizes the IMAGINE Monitoring Network, facilitates annual grass workshops throughout Wyoming. 

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Beth Fowers

Assistant Research Scientist

Beth manages the ShREC greenhouse to ensure research, educational, and infrastructure objectives are met. Provide research support to other principal investigators undertaking research at ShREC, including assisting with data collection, experimental installation, etc. Communicate updates on status of projects during their management, such as presenting at conferences or written publications, and facilitate educational programs with other partners. 

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Morgan Frost

IMAGINE Postdoctoral Research Associate

Morgan is a plant community ecologist interested in the consequences of invasion for grassland ecosystems, especially under global climate change.  Morgan is compiling and analyzing monitoring data associated with invasive grass species across the Northern Great Plains. She is working collaboratively with IMAGINE and Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) to both curate data and update existing models to better understand invasive grass management in this region.

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Chloe Mattilio

IMAGINE Postdoctoral Research Associate

Chloe is developing maps of predicted invasive annual grass presence at landscape scales with partners across Wyoming. Using IMAGINE monitoring network observations to train frequently collected satellite imagery, she aims to capture the spectral signature of invasive annual grasses for accurate detection. 

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Claire Visconti 

Outreach Program Coordinator and Assistant Research Scientist

Claire is the outreach program coordinator of the Invasive Annual Grasses Tech Transfer Partnership (IAG TTP) and assistant research scientist. She helps to plan and implement invasive grasses workshops throughout the western US. She also collaborates with project partners to produce educational materials for land managers. 

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Nancy Webb

Wind River/ Bighorn Basin District Invasive Annual Grass Coordinator

Nancy is the Invasive Annual Grass Coordinator for the Wind River/ Bighorn Basin District.Nancy works directly with the BLM District fuels team and other federal, state, and local partners. Nancy develops and implements strategic invasive annual grass programs throughout the region. She also provides monitoring support and coordination for land management.

Government and Industry Partners

Slade Franklin 

Wyoming Department of Agriculture

 

Lindy Garner 

US Fish and Wildlife Service

 

Ian Tator 

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

 

Craig Russow

 UW Foundation

 

Rex Lockman 

Laramie County Conservation District

Craig Alford 

Corteva Agriscience

 

Rachel Mealor

Wyoming Weed and Pest Council

Affiliated University of Wyoming Faculty

Andrew Kniss

Plant Sciences - Weed Science

 

Kelsey Brock

Plant Sciences and Extension - Weed Specialist

 

Kristina Hufford 

Ecosystems Science and Management and WRRC - Restoration Ecology, Population Genetics, Evolutionary Biology and Botany

 

Jeffrey Beck 

Ecosystem Science and Management - Wildlife Habitat Restoration Ecology

 

Derek Scasta

Ecosystem Science and Management and Extension - Rangeland Management, Plant-Herbivore Interaction Ecology, Fire Science

 

Linda van Diepen

Ecosystem Science and Management - Soil Microbial Ecology

 

Whit Stewart

Animal Science and Extension - Sheep Specialist

 

Brent Ewers 

Botany and Biodiversity Institute - Plant Physiological Ecology

 

Drew Bennett  

Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources - Private Lands Stewardship

Kelly Crane

Extension Associate Dean

John Ritten

CSU Agriculture Economist and Extension Specialist

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