
Greg Barron-Gafford, PhD.
Professor
Associate Director, UA Community & School Garden Program
School of Geography & Development; B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Email: gregbg@email.arizona.edu Phone: 52O.548.0388
Professor
Associate Director, UA Community & School Garden Program
School of Geography & Development; B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Email: gregbg@email.arizona.edu Phone: 52O.548.0388

Nesrine Rouini
Senior Research Specialist and Research Coordinator
School of Geography & Development; B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Email: nesrinerouini@arizona.edu
Senior Research Specialist and Research Coordinator
School of Geography & Development; B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Email: nesrinerouini@arizona.edu

Kai Lepley
PhD Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Kai is exploring our agrivoltaics work using classic plant physiological instruments and novel ground-
based remote sensing tools for tracking plant phenology and growth.
Website: https://geography.arizona.edu/people/kai-lepley
PhD Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Kai is exploring our agrivoltaics work using classic plant physiological instruments and novel ground-
based remote sensing tools for tracking plant phenology and growth.
Website: https://geography.arizona.edu/people/kai-lepley

Tali Neesham-McTiernan
PhD Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Tali is merging physical and social sciences to map areas of suitability for agrivoltaics across East Africa
and the United States.
PhD Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Tali is merging physical and social sciences to map areas of suitability for agrivoltaics across East Africa
and the United States.

Diana Githu
PhD Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Diana is co-advised by Dr. Katherine Snyder, and her research will explore energy transitions, climate
change pressures, and the incentives for adaptation towards resilience in East Africa.
Website to learn more about some of Diana's success:
https://alrs.arizona.edu/diana-githu-alrs-incoming-student-and-university-fellows-awardee
PhD Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Diana is co-advised by Dr. Katherine Snyder, and her research will explore energy transitions, climate
change pressures, and the incentives for adaptation towards resilience in East Africa.
Website to learn more about some of Diana's success:
https://alrs.arizona.edu/diana-githu-alrs-incoming-student-and-university-fellows-awardee

Patrick Murphy
Research Specialist & Lab Manager
Geosciences / School of Geography & Development / Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Patrick completed his Masters Research (see below) and now is the research guru for multiple lab groups. Patrick is a whiz with technology, instrumentation, and mentoring. Patrick helps link and then stream our data from our multiple agrivoltaics and ecohydrology sites, leads calibrations of instruments, and teaches new research assistants about plant ecophysiological measurements best practices.
Research Specialist & Lab Manager
Geosciences / School of Geography & Development / Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Patrick completed his Masters Research (see below) and now is the research guru for multiple lab groups. Patrick is a whiz with technology, instrumentation, and mentoring. Patrick helps link and then stream our data from our multiple agrivoltaics and ecohydrology sites, leads calibrations of instruments, and teaches new research assistants about plant ecophysiological measurements best practices.

Alyssa Salazar
Research Technician, III
School of Geography & Development / Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Alyssa completed a Senior and Honors Thesis on our agrivoltaics research, and now that she has graduated she has taken on leadership roles in our group. Alyssa leads our research on how agrivoltaics impacts the phenology and growing season patterns of different crops across our growing seasons to to determine how this approach might extend the growing seasons of certain crops.
Research Technician, III
School of Geography & Development / Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Alyssa completed a Senior and Honors Thesis on our agrivoltaics research, and now that she has graduated she has taken on leadership roles in our group. Alyssa leads our research on how agrivoltaics impacts the phenology and growing season patterns of different crops across our growing seasons to to determine how this approach might extend the growing seasons of certain crops.

Caleb Ortega
Program Coordinator
UA Community and School Garden Program / Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
As an undergraduate, Caleb worked with our agrivoltaics research, and now that he has graduated he has taken on leadership within our research group and our partner program - the UA Community & School Garden Program. Caleb supports our agrivoltaics research at Biosphere 2 and local schools through site maintenance, planning plantings schemes, getting starts growing ahead of planting, and imagining more efficient and creative ways of collecting data.
Program Coordinator
UA Community and School Garden Program / Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
As an undergraduate, Caleb worked with our agrivoltaics research, and now that he has graduated he has taken on leadership within our research group and our partner program - the UA Community & School Garden Program. Caleb supports our agrivoltaics research at Biosphere 2 and local schools through site maintenance, planning plantings schemes, getting starts growing ahead of planting, and imagining more efficient and creative ways of collecting data.

Isaiah Barnett-Moreno
Undergraduate Research Assistant and Farm Manager
Pima Community College
Isaiah also works with Merchant's Garden, which is making fresh food accessible and affordable with aquaponics.
Undergraduate Research Assistant and Farm Manager
Pima Community College
Isaiah also works with Merchant's Garden, which is making fresh food accessible and affordable with aquaponics.
Research Group Alumni...

John Knowles, Ph.D
Post-doctoral Research Associate
John's research platform incorporates eddy covariance, isotopic, geographic information
systems (GIS), remote sensing, and modeling techniques to investigate the multi-scale
impacts of climate change and management practices on water and nutrient cycling at
Earth’s surface.
John is now leading his own group of students and teaching as an Assistant Professor at California State University, Chico!
Research Gate Profile: www.researchgate.net/profile/John_Knowles2
Post-doctoral Research Associate
John's research platform incorporates eddy covariance, isotopic, geographic information
systems (GIS), remote sensing, and modeling techniques to investigate the multi-scale
impacts of climate change and management practices on water and nutrient cycling at
Earth’s surface.
John is now leading his own group of students and teaching as an Assistant Professor at California State University, Chico!
Research Gate Profile: www.researchgate.net/profile/John_Knowles2

Mariah Rogers
Masters Graduate Student
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Mariah's research revolves around conducting blind taste tests using our agrivoltaics and traditionally grown crops to determine if there are detectable differences in preference. Mariah also serves as a Teaching Assistant and Field Coordinator for our UA Community and School Garden Program
Website: https://schoolgardens.arizona.edu/person/mariah-rogers
Masters Graduate Student
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Mariah's research revolves around conducting blind taste tests using our agrivoltaics and traditionally grown crops to determine if there are detectable differences in preference. Mariah also serves as a Teaching Assistant and Field Coordinator for our UA Community and School Garden Program
Website: https://schoolgardens.arizona.edu/person/mariah-rogers

Tony Colella
PhD Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-colella/
Tony is now an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Arizona, and he is highly sought after because of his creative and engaging style in the classroom.
PhD Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-colella/
Tony is now an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Arizona, and he is highly sought after because of his creative and engaging style in the classroom.

Rebecca Minor, M.Sci.
Research Specialist, Field and Equipment Guru
School of Geography & Development; B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Email: rlminor@email.arizona.edu
Research Specialist, Field and Equipment Guru
School of Geography & Development; B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Email: rlminor@email.arizona.edu

Julia Yang
Masters Student
BS:
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Masters Student
BS:
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS

Leandro Phelps-Garcia
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Research Experiences for Undergraduates Intern
Soil, Water, & Environmental Science
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Research Experiences for Undergraduates Intern
Soil, Water, & Environmental Science
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721

Jovon Jojola (Jojo!)
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Student
Home Campus: Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Jojo is a member of the Tribal community at Isleta Pueblo, and she has brought amazing
insights into our agrivoltaics research.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Student
Home Campus: Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Jojo is a member of the Tribal community at Isleta Pueblo, and she has brought amazing
insights into our agrivoltaics research.

Leland Sutter
PhD Student & Graduate Research Assistant
MA, Physical Geography, University of Arizona, 2018
BS, Environmental Sciences, San Diego State University, 2013
Leland's research lies at the nexus of soil and plant relationships, starting at the organismal scale, then applying those relationships to large landscapes. More specifically, he is interested in semi-arid and arid lands, with a focus on soil-plant water and carbon movement. Interdisciplinary questions are at the heart of Leland's research methods, drawing upon all fields of the physical sciences.
Website: http://www.lelandsutter.com
PhD Student & Graduate Research Assistant
MA, Physical Geography, University of Arizona, 2018
BS, Environmental Sciences, San Diego State University, 2013
Leland's research lies at the nexus of soil and plant relationships, starting at the organismal scale, then applying those relationships to large landscapes. More specifically, he is interested in semi-arid and arid lands, with a focus on soil-plant water and carbon movement. Interdisciplinary questions are at the heart of Leland's research methods, drawing upon all fields of the physical sciences.
Website: http://www.lelandsutter.com

Lucia Lopez
Undergraduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Undergraduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721

Yann Dusza, PhD
Post-doctoral Scholar with the ECOTRON ÎleDeFrance
Yann is an ecosystem ecologist and a plant biologist. I work on the effects of soil-plant interactions on ecosystem multifunctionality.
Research Gate Page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yann_Dusza2
Post-doctoral Scholar with the ECOTRON ÎleDeFrance
Yann is an ecosystem ecologist and a plant biologist. I work on the effects of soil-plant interactions on ecosystem multifunctionality.
Research Gate Page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yann_Dusza2

Jesse Minor
PhD Candidate; Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jesse_Minor
PhD Candidate; Graduate Research Assistant
School of Geography & Development
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jesse_Minor

Patrick Murphy
Masters Student & Graduate Research Assistant
BS, Environmental Sciences, San Diego State University, 2013
Patrick's interests are in the physiological responses of Critical Zone vegetation to extreme weather events and changing climatic influences. Specifically, I am looking at the contribution of snowmelt timing to vegetation and NPP around the Bigelow Site in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Website: http://u.arizona.edu/~murphyp/index.html
Masters Student & Graduate Research Assistant
BS, Environmental Sciences, San Diego State University, 2013
Patrick's interests are in the physiological responses of Critical Zone vegetation to extreme weather events and changing climatic influences. Specifically, I am looking at the contribution of snowmelt timing to vegetation and NPP around the Bigelow Site in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
School of Geography & Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Website: http://u.arizona.edu/~murphyp/index.html

Sean Hendryx
Masters Graduate Research Assistant
BS, Environmental Science (Energy in Society & the Environment), Western Washington Univ.
Sean is studying the interactions between land cover, climate, and water. He is currently focused on the statistical and spatial analysis of factors from remote sensing, in situ measurements, and mathematical models to understand carbon and water fluxes in the critical zone.
School of Natural Resources & the Environment; University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-hendryx-43894056
Masters Graduate Research Assistant
BS, Environmental Science (Energy in Society & the Environment), Western Washington Univ.
Sean is studying the interactions between land cover, climate, and water. He is currently focused on the statistical and spatial analysis of factors from remote sensing, in situ measurements, and mathematical models to understand carbon and water fluxes in the critical zone.
School of Natural Resources & the Environment; University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-hendryx-43894056

Sarah Wolsiffer
Undergraduate Research Assistant
School of Natural Resources & Environment, Graduating May 2018
Sarah is studying Wildlife Conservation and Management with minors in Marine
Science and Spanish. She has been learning about how to measure photosynthesis in
mesquite and grasses, and she has proven to be a huge help in our research already!
Undergraduate Research Assistant
School of Natural Resources & Environment, Graduating May 2018
Sarah is studying Wildlife Conservation and Management with minors in Marine
Science and Spanish. She has been learning about how to measure photosynthesis in
mesquite and grasses, and she has proven to be a huge help in our research already!

Enrique Pérez Sánchez-Cañete, PhD
Marie Curie Fellow; Post-doctoral Scholar; Visiting Scientist from the University of Granada in Spain
School of Geography & Development; B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Google Scholar Page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=oOEp7nwAAAAJ&hl=en
Marie Curie Fellow; Post-doctoral Scholar; Visiting Scientist from the University of Granada in Spain
School of Geography & Development; B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Google Scholar Page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=oOEp7nwAAAAJ&hl=en

Sabrina Juarez, PhD
Post-doctoral Scientist
Lead Research Specialist - Ecotron Experiment
Centre for Research in Experimental and Predictive Ecology (CEREEP)
Ecotron Ile-de-France
Post-doctoral Scientist
Lead Research Specialist - Ecotron Experiment
Centre for Research in Experimental and Predictive Ecology (CEREEP)
Ecotron Ile-de-France

Michelle Coe
Graduate Student - Completed Fall 2015 - supported by a NASA Space Grant Graduate Fellow
Thesis Title: School Gardens As Science: Using Arizona Children's Environmental Attitudes to Evaluate Program Effectiveness
Websites:
http://geography.arizona.edu/user/michelle-coe or
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleacoe
Graduate Student - Completed Fall 2015 - supported by a NASA Space Grant Graduate Fellow
Thesis Title: School Gardens As Science: Using Arizona Children's Environmental Attitudes to Evaluate Program Effectiveness
Websites:
http://geography.arizona.edu/user/michelle-coe or
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleacoe

Katie Kinney
STAR (STem Teachers and Researchers) fellow for the 2016 summer
through the CalPoly program
University of Montana graduate going into teaching Middle School. Katie is helping develop experiential education opportunities around our Solar Ecosystem Services installation at Biosphere 2. She is also creating lesson plans and tools for experiential classroom learning around these topics for classes that are too far to help us with this work at Biosphere 2.
More about the STAR program: http://www.starteacherresearcher.org/index.html#whatis
STAR (STem Teachers and Researchers) fellow for the 2016 summer
through the CalPoly program
University of Montana graduate going into teaching Middle School. Katie is helping develop experiential education opportunities around our Solar Ecosystem Services installation at Biosphere 2. She is also creating lesson plans and tools for experiential classroom learning around these topics for classes that are too far to help us with this work at Biosphere 2.
More about the STAR program: http://www.starteacherresearcher.org/index.html#whatis

Elizabeth Parra
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
University of Texas, El Paso
El Paso, TX
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
University of Texas, El Paso
El Paso, TX

Zev Braun
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA

Cynthia Wright
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
Now in Graduate School at Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
Now in Graduate School at Texas A&M University
College Station, TX

Grace John
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
(Co-advised with Dr. Shirley Papuga)
University of Dayton; Now in Graduate School at UCLA!
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
(Co-advised with Dr. Shirley Papuga)
University of Dayton; Now in Graduate School at UCLA!

Kelly Sykora
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
University of Wisconsin
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
University of Wisconsin

Pin Pravalprukskul
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
(Co-advised with Dr. Mitch Pavao-Zuckerman)
Wellesley College
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Visiting Scientist
(Co-advised with Dr. Mitch Pavao-Zuckerman)
Wellesley College

Evan Sommer
The one and only!
The one and only!

Maggie Heard
Research Technician, Retired ;)
B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Research Technician, Retired ;)
B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
Interested in joining the Barron-Gafford Research Group?
Check out the details in the "JOIN US!" tab
Check out the details in the "JOIN US!" tab