People

Rachel M. Mitchell
^{Associate Professor}

• B.S. University of Arizona – Veterinary Sciences-2006
• Ph.D in Ecology. University of Washington – School of Environmental and Forest Sciences-2013
• NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology and Math-Duke University-Biology. 2014-2017
• Assistant Professor – Northern Arizona University – School of Earth and Sustainability. 2017-2022.
• Assistant Professor – University of Arizona – School of Natural Resources and the Environment. 2022-2025
• Associate Professor – University of Arizona – School of Natural Resources and the Environment. 2025-Present

Email me: rachelmm (at) arizona.edu

Fern Bromley

PhD Student
Fern is a graduate student studying Natural Resources with an emphasis in Watershed Management and Ecohydrology. With a background in field botany, plant ecophysiology, and the carbon & water cycles, Fern is broadly interested in how different functions of plants and the ecosystems they make up respond to changing water availability and hydroclimate. Fern decided to pursue a grad degree after working in the conservation industry in Arizona for several years and becoming interested in reciprocal knowledge exchange between scientists and land managers. They are currently working on two main projects: one concerning the effects of vegetation management on groundwater recharge, including groundwater dependency of certain plant communities; and another assessing conifer seedling vulnerability to extreme heat and drought using physiological indicators, particularly to inform how seedling mortality might affect ecological trajectories and reforestation planning in the US’s intermountain region.

Ethan Taber

PhD Student
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
JFSP GRIN Fellow

Ethan grew up in rural Oklahoma, but moved west and earned a BA in Environment and Sustainability at Western Colorado University. After a few years working in the northern Rockies, the desire to further his education led him to NAU. Ethan’s main research interests involve plant community responses to the effects of a changing climate, specifically involving wild land fire and reduced snowpack.

Ian Winick

PhD Student

Ian was born in a tide pool on the shores of Long Island Sound. He earned his BS in Biology at Queen’s University and his MPS in Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University. Ian is broadly interested in native plant conservation from the species scale to the landscape scale. His master’s work was on the restoration ecology of a rare perennial herb in the Finger Lakes region of New York. His current research is focused on the resilience of plant communities in the context of changing climate and disturbance regimes, with the goal of informing thoughtful, research-driven land stewardship.

Elwin Jay “EJ” Salac

Lab Logo Designer

Northern Arizona University B.S. Environmental Sciences

Our Logo was designed by Elwin Jay “EJ” Salac. Elwin Jay “EJ” Salac is an alumnus of Northern Arizona University’s Environmental Sciences program and has also spent a bit of time doing freelance graphic art. Born and raised in the Sonoran Desert surrounded by the natural scenery and exposed to a whole lot of Bob Ross, the environment and nature continues to be a big portion of their work in both the areas of graphic design and painting. EJ takes graphic art commissions, and can be reached at elwin.jay.salac (at) gmail.com.