People

Rebecca L. Brown, Ph.D.

• Professor of the Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, at EWU since 2004, Department Chair 2017-2023
• Undergraduate Degree: George Washington University, 1995, BS Environmental Science
• Graduate Degree: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2002, PhD Ecology
• Postdoctoral Research: Academy of Natural Sciences: Patrick Center for Environmental Research, Philadelphia, PA, 2002-2004
• Email: rbrown@ewu.edu         Phone: (509)359-2528          Office: 156 Science Hall

Graduate Students

• Michael Trier, Elwha River Restoration

Undergraduate Students

• Makenna Tabino, McNair Scholar, Soil Seedbanks in Drained Reservoirs on the Elwha River, WA

Alumni

• Thurman Johnson, MS 2023, Examining the Effects of Seed Mix Diversity and Composition, Biochar Application, Seeding Rate, Species Identity, and Topography on Palouse Prairie Restoration, Current Position: Wildlife Refuge Manager, Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, Colville, WA
• Katelin Killoy, MS 2023, Baseline data for Assessing Beaver Dam Analogs as a restoration tool in fire-affected tributaries of the Methow and Okanogan Watersheds, Current Position: Riparian Ecologist, Arctic Grayling CCAA Program at Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Fisheries Division Region 3, Bozeman, Montana
• Kristy Snyder, MS 2022, Role of Seed mixes, Biochar Soil Amendment, and Annual Seed in Palouse Prairie Restoration, Current Position: GIS Analyst, Chicago Botanical Garden/Bureau of Land Management, Boise, ID
• Emma Hoskins, MS 2022, Plant Pollinator Interaction Networks in Remnant and Reconstructed Palouse Prairie in Eastern Washington, USA, Current Position: Wildlife Biologist, Whitetail Environmental, Yakima Training Center, WA
• Seth McCullough, BS 2022, Palouse Prairie Restoration Planning, Effect of Biochar on Prairie Restoration, Current Position: MS Student at James Madison University
• Catherine Schwartzmann, BS 2022, Palouse Prairie Restoration Planning, Current Position: Research Intern, Washington State University
• Rachael Pentico, BS 2021, Effect of Aspect on Plant Soil Feedbacks in Palouse Prairie Remnants, McNair Scholar, Current Position: MS Student at SUNY Syracuse
• Ethan Bean, MS 2021, Genetic structure of Pseudoroegneria spicata in the Northern Palouse Prairie and Channeled Scablands, Current Position: Washington Department of Ecology Air Quality Program, Spokane, WA
• Erik Peterson, MS 2021, Remnant assessment and soil inoculation to inform large-scale prairie restoration at Eastern Washington University, Current Position: Biological Science Technician, Bureau of Land Management, Vale, OR
• Joe Weirich, MS 2021, Beaver moderated fire resistance in the North Cascades and potential for climate change adaptation, Current Position: Restoration Coordinator, Methow Beaver Project
• Michelle Anderson, BS 2021, Palouse Prairie Restoration Planning
• Alexa Whipple, MS 2019; Riparian resilience in the face of interacting disturbances: understanding complex interactions between wildfire, erosion, and beaver (Castor canadensis) in grazed dryland riparian systems of low order streams in North Central Washington State, USA, Current Position: Project Director, Methow Beaver Project
• Cole Sherwood, BS 2020, Effects of Beaver Activity on Bat Abundance, co-advised with Dr. Peggy O’Connell
• Cody Thomas, MS 2018; Riparian vegetation and the soil seed bank five years after dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, Current Position: TFW Policy Coordinator/Analyst, Upper Columbia United Tribes
• Olivia Morgan, MS 2018; Thesis Title: Vegetation community development after dam removal on the Elwha River, Current Position: Ecologist / GIS Analyst, Cascade Environmental Group, Portland, OR
• Jaimie Kenney, BS 2018; McNair Scholar, Current Position: PhD Student at UC Riverside
• Jared Lamm, BS 2017; Turnbull Scholar, studied plant soil feedback effects on the invasive annual grass, Ventenata dubia; MS 2019 Targeted short-term nutrient reduction to manage Ventenata dubia an invasive winter annual grass: soil and plant responses, with Dr. Justin Bastow, Eastern Washington University, Current Position: Instructional Classroom Scientific Technician, Eastern Washington University
• Rachael Hamby, BS 2017; Studied effects of rainfall timing on the invasive annual grass, Ventenata dubia, Current Position: PhD Student at UC Riverside
• Jarrett Cellini, MS 2016; The relationship between invasive annual grasses and biological soil crust across Eastern Washington, Current Position: Ecologist, US Army Corps of Engineers, Columbia, SC
• Kim Cook, BS 2015; McNair Scholar and Turnbull Scholar, Studied interacting effects of fire and pocket gophers on invasive annual grass abundance on Mima Mounds at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, MS 2020 from WSU Vancouver, Current Position: Research Technician at Oregon Health Sciences University
• Erin Cubley, MS 2015; Initial response of riparian vegetation to dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, PhD 2020 Colorado State University Warner College of Natural Resources, Current Position: ERO Resources Corporation, Fort Collins, CO
• Jarrett Schuster, MS 2015; Vegetation colonization within exposed reservoirs following dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, Current Position: Natural Resource Specialist, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Bremerton, WA
• Kristin (Anicito) O’Brien, MS 2013, A holistic approach to Mima mound prairie restoration, Current Position: Land Steward, Sudbury Valley Trustees, MA
• Adam Gebauer, MS 2013, Ecohydrology effects of an invasive grass (Phalaris arundinacea) on semi-arid riparian zones, Current Position: Public Lands Program Director, The Lands Council, Spokane, WA
• Brittney (Davidson) Morlin, MS 2013, Evaluating ecological function provided by bank stabilization in Box Canyon Reservoir, WA, Current Position: Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service North Idaho Field Office
• Aaron Clausen, MS 2012, Riparian understory dynamics and relationship to dams on the Elwha River, Washington, Current Position: Senior Program Officer, World Wildlife Fund
• Brandy Reynecke, MS 2012; Plant community restoration on mima mounds at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, WA, Current Position: Senior Environmental Planner, Washington Department of Ecology, Spokane, WA
• Jessica A. M. (Bryant) Moore, BS 2011; McNair Scholar; studied native and exotic plant distribution on Mima Mounds at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, PhD University of Tennessee, Current Position: Microbial and Ecosystem Ecologist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Cara Hulce, MS 2009; Thesis Title: Vegetation Colonization and Seed Bank Analysis of Lake Mills Deltas: Pre-Dam Removal Analysis for Post-Dam Removal Insight; Current Position: Manager, Adams County Conservation District