Postdoctoral Fellows
Rachel Buck
Rachel is a postdoctoral fellow researching linkages between human disturbance, ecosystem function, and microbial community response in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Her current work investigates the effect of environmental perturbations associated with Phragmites invasion and control measures on microbial gene expression and community functions.
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Sophie Hill
Sophie Hill is a Postdoctoral Fellow researching human influence on the water cycle and how to actively represent it in the education and outreach resources that are widely available. This includes creating representations of the water cycle that highlight human impacts, using place-based examples, and incorporating seasonal patterns and long-term changes in climate. She worked for 7 years as a K-12 math/science teacher and is the mom of 3 boys.
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Raymond Lee
Raymond Lee is a Postdoctoral Fellow researching ecological (terrestrial, aquatic, and glacial) and social responses to anthropogenic disturbances from the plot scale to the continental scale.
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PhD/MS Students
Sara Sayedi
Sara Sayedi is a Ph.D. student working on combining expert opinions to assess risk of dangerous change in Earth systems (permafrost collapse, global wildfire, and water security).
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Qiwen Zhang
Qiwen Zhang is a Ph.D. student working on using Arctic river networks as multi-scale sensors to reveal terrestrial and aquatic signals of ecosystem change.
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Adam Norris
Adam Norris is an M.S student studying soil fire responses and nutrient cycling following the Mt. Nebo Megafire of 2018.
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Leslie Lange
Leslie Lange is an Environmental Science MS student from Modesto,California. She is studying different approaches to increasing science literacy in the public and reducing waterborne pathogens.
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Sam Bratsman
Sam Bratsman is an M.S. student working on eutrophication in Utah Lake and the effects of climate change in the Abbott and Aanderud labs.
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Isabella Errigo
Isabella Errigo is an M.S. student studying the effects of wildfire on aquatic biodiversity in the Frandsen and Abbott labs. She is interested in the interactions between human policy and ecosystem sustainability.
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Aria McComber
Aria is a master's student in Environmental Science. She is interested in corporate sustainability, environmental health, international development, and environmental economics. Before being recruited by BYU's volleyball team, she received a degree in business administration from Washington State University.
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Sarah Witney
A recent BYU graduate in Psychology in Spanish, Sarah Witney hopes to use this opportunity to help her community be a positive force for the environment. She is open to learning anything and looks forward to growing her understanding of the issues and solutions. “Be the climate change you wish to see in the world.”
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Undergraduate Students
Sarah Chan
Sarah is a junior majoring in Environmental Science. She developed a passion for environmental science during her time at the School of Environmental Studies in Minnesota. While there, she was able to participate in a high altitude physiology field study which took her to Tlachichuca, Mexico to climb Pico de Orizaba. Since then, she has transferred to BYU and has taken many classes which have expanded her interest in the environment, such as environmental biology, soil science, and chemistry.
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Russel Anderson
Russel is somewhere between senior and graduating, studying physics and political science. His hobbies and work are inseparably full of research and writing, and he hopes for his career to end up in academia with a focus on tackling complex problems like climate change and political corruption. When he’s not doing any of that, he’s probably listening to music, playing video games, or talking people’s ears off about random history things.
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Katie Bellows
Katie is an undergraduate student from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, studying music composition with a business minor. Her top research interests include bipartisan environmental outreach, impacts of sustainable food systems on local economies, and household perceptions of environmental cost and waste. When separated from her schoolwork, she’s usually hiking in the mountains or practicing for her next album.
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Keara Bingham
Keara is an undergraduate student from Portland, Oregon studying Environmental Science and minoring in music. During the summer, Keara can be found in a small town in Alaska where she works at a fish processing plant! Her hobbies include playing the piano, running, hiking, and playing video games with her family. In the future, she hopes to focus on restoring environmental activity in different areas of her community.
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Becca Black
Becca is a sophomore in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation and is interested in restoration ecology, particularly in wetland and river systems. She is from central Wisconsin, and enjoys reading, plant ID, making bread, and writing in the third person :)
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Addison Bliss
Addison is an undergraduate from Peoria, Arizona majoring in Environmental Science. She is interested in improving community and individual health by establishing gardening programs in environments such as elementary schools and urban areas. She can’t wait to encourage others to get their hands dirty and nurture the world beneath their feet. She loves reading, gardening, cooking, drawing, hiking, and meditating.
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Jacob Blood
Jacob is a BYU is an undergraduate from Hurricane, West Virginia studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. He is interested in renewable energy and environmental policy and law. His hobbies include reading, writing, skateboarding, studying languages and watching movies.
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Olivia Burns
Olivia Burns is an undergrad from New Richmond, Wisconsin studying Environmental Science and Sustainability and minoring in Professional Writing and Rhetoric. She is passionate about ecology, environmental law, environmental journalism, and sustainable development. In her free time, she loves backpacking, going through her camera roll, and reading (or looking at pictures in) the National Geographic.
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Karoline Busche
Karoline is an Environmental Science and Sustainability student graduating in April 2024. Her research interests are water conservation, and environmental education. She loves learning languages, hiking, fashion, and laughing.
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Hannah Butterfield
Hannah is an undergraduate studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. She loves learning and hopes to work with them when she graduates. She loves her current job at a greenhouse. In her free time she enjoys hiking, gardening, crocheting, playing with her cat, and visiting local restaurants.
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Joshua Christensen
Joshua is an undergraduate student from Cincinnati, Ohio studying computer science. Despite his best efforts, he developed a love of Nature after years of being dragged up mountains by his tree hugging father. Now, he hopes to contribute to building a better world in whatever way he can. When he’s not furiously typing on his laptop, he enjoys playing rocket league, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and cooking. More information can be found at https://josh.christen.se/n
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Elisabeth Currit
Elisabeth is a senior studying Environmental Science and Sustainability and minoring in International Development. She is deeply passionate about a wide range of social and environmental issues, including air pollution, environmental justice, environmental policy, public land management, and gender equality, and she is especially interested in using GIS mapping and analysis to better visualize and understand these issues. She loves to read, hike, climb, and do anything outdoors, and owns an astounding number of plants (this number is continually growing). After completing her undergraduate degree, she plans to attend grad school and get a Masters’ degree and then a PhD.
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Sara Frutos - Field Manager
Sara is the co-field manager in the Abbott Lab. She is a senior undergraduate from Corning, New York studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. She is passionate about protecting and preserving the beauty of the Earth. She hopes to have a career in which she can work to bring sustainable practices to business and cities. She enjoys any and all types of field work, hiking, and sports.
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Eliza Hammari
Eliza is an undergrad majoring in Environmental Science and Sustainability. She has a passion for protecting and preserving our beautiful earth and hopes to help others become better stewards of the fascinating world we live in. She enjoys reading, cooking, creating art of any kind, and anything outdoors.
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Bethany Hurt
Bethany is an undergraduate student from Montgomery Village, Maryland studying Environmental Science with a minor in music. She hopes to work with water resource management in the future. Some of her passions include playing piano and ukulele, singing in the BYU Women’s Chorus, hiking, cooking, Lord of the Rings, and sword fighting.
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Shannon Lambson - Field Manager
Shannon Lambson is the co-field manager in the lab and an undergraduate studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. Her interests include wildlife conservation, improving women’s health in developing countries, and watching reruns of the Crocodile Hunter.
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Leen Lindsey
Leen is a sophomore undergrad from Simi Valley, California studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. He is also minoring in business with hopes of pursuing a career involving sustainability within businesses. He enjoys spending his free time lifting weights at the gym and trying new foods.
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Audrey Lofthouse
Audrey is an undergraduate student studying Environmental Science and Sustainability with a minor in Geospatial Science and Technology (GIS). She has lived in various places, including Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Colorado, and Germany, and enjoys the outdoors wherever she goes. Her hobbies include trail running, crossfit, calligraphy, and traveling. She hopes to pursue atmospheric science/climatology in graduate school, after which she can eventually just “do science” for a living, and maybe even live in Antarctica for a bit.
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Ethan McQuhae
Ethan is an undergraduate from Fort Worth, Texas, studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. He is an avid lover of all things plantae. In his free time he loves to hike, eat pizza, and hunt for new plants he hasn’t seen before. He hopes to help others understand the importance of plants in the environment and how we can be better stewards of our great, big planet.
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Kylee Mecate
Kylee is an undergraduate from Imperial, California. She’s majoring in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, and she’s always had a passion for animals, being outside, and the beach/ocean.
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Hannah Mikesell
Hannah is an undergraduate student from San Diego, California studying Biodiversity & Conservation with an Environmental Science & Sustainability minor. They’re passionate about wildlife conservation, combating climate change, and equality. They love learning new facts about various species, hiking, video games, and losing themselves in a good story.
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Megan Nebeker
Megan is an undergraduate student studying exercise science from Oregon. She loves learning more about the environment, and ways that we can protect it. She is planning on becoming a physical therapist. In her spare time she enjoys go hiking, visit national parks, and play tennis.
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Jansen Nipko
Jansen Nipko is from West Jordan Utah and is an engaged student in the Environmental Science and Sustainability major. Since his freshman year at BYU, he has been working in the Aanderud lab, involved in projects with CoVid tracing in campus wastewater and microbial DNA extraction/analysis of arctic soil samples. He has spent the last two summers working under Dr. Ben Abbott in the frozen tundra of Northern Alaska doing research on Arctic river systems and photo-biodegradability of Arctic river carbon. Jansen loves backcountry skiing, singing to Broadway tunes, climbing, and watching rom-coms.
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Harriet Parkinson
Harriet is an undergraduate student from Boise, Idaho studying Geography with an emphasis in Urban and Regional Planning. She looks forward to professional opportunities to advocate for sustainable development, but for now celebrates individual actions such as buying all of her clothes second-hand. In her free time, Harriet can be found outside hiking or playing ultimate frisbee.
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Audrey Rathke
Audrey is an undergraduate studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. She loves water and is striving to learn anything about water: lakes, streams, ponds, oceans, etc. She is intrigued with all of the biological, chemical, physical, and geographical components of freshwater and saltwater systems. When she is not learning, Audrey enjoys decorating cakes, painting, photography, water skiing, tennis, and reading.
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Robby Sainsbury - Data Manager
Robby is the data manager for the lab. He is a senior from Idaho studying statistics at BYU. He enjoys using data to solve complex and important problems. He is currently involved in research on the impacts of megafire events on stream chemistry and trends in harmful algal blooms in Utah Lake. He is also interested in researching the social determinants of health, specifically to improve health outcomes for those in vulnerable communities. After graduation he plans to pursue a Master of Public Health degree. In his free time he enjoys listening to podcasts and exploring nature with his wife.
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Kirsten Steele
Kirsten is an undergrad studying Mechanical Engineering. She wants to be a real scientist when she grows up. She enjoys biking as a mode of ‘long’ distance travel, rollerblading in random parking lots and/or along the provo river, playing with electronics and reading Brandon Sanderson or psychology books.
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Katy Thomas
Katy is an undergrad studying Environmental science and minoring in Business and Urban and Regional Planning. She hopes to help cities and companies become more sustainable through planning and consulting. In her free time she likes to read books, play video games and cook. She hopes to make a difference by making the world a little bit better than it was before.
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Nathan Thompson
Nathan is an undergraduate from Rexburg, Idaho studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. He has a passion for outdoor recreation and helping others get involved in those types of activities (backcountrybasics.org). He cares deeply for the environment and hopes to help everyone to become better stewards of this beautiful world.
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Megan White
Megan is an undergraduate student at BYU studying Environmental Science and Sustainability with a minor in music. In the future, she hopes to work as a sustainability counselor and help large cities transition to renewable energy sources. She enjoys reading, drawing, sewing, cooking, making music, and anything to do with the outdoors.
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Heidi Wilding Mann - Lab Manager
Heidi Wilding Mann is the lab manager in the Abbott Lab. She is a Senior studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. Heidi loves to stay busy (sometimes too busy!) and her passions include learning, teaching, and watching Survivor! She has a specific interest in ecology and would like to get masters and doctorate degrees in this field.
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Past Students
Kallin Austin
Kallin is a junior at BYU studying exercise science and preparing to apply to medical school. He is a member of the BYU Army ROTC and is planning on commissioning as a 2nd lieutenant in the United States Army in the spring of 2022.
Brian Brown
Brian Brown is a Master’s Student in Environmental Science. His undergraduate degree (BYU ‘19) was in Bioinformatics with a minor in Computer Science.
Abigail Banks
Abigail Banks is an undergraduate in Environmental Science from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Sarah Buening
Sarah is a freshman at BYU and who is excited to gain experience in environmental research and sustainability efforts. She is interested in studying correlations between human and environmental health and advocating for stronger environmental protection policies, particularly reducing air and water pollution. She wants to ensure that our beautiful planet is healthy and strong!
Madeline Buhman
Madeline Buhman is studying Environmental Science and English, and loves the intersection of people and the environment.
Emma Bulter
Emma is an undergraduate student from Gaithersburg, Maryland studying biology. She has a strong interest in animals and veterinary medicine. In her spare time she likes to bake, play basketball, and watch movies. She loves visiting national parks and being in nature.
Sarah Chan
Sarah is a junior majoring in Environmental Science. She developed a passion for environmental science during her time at the School of Environmental Studies in Minnesota. While there, she was able to participate in a high altitude physiology field study which took her to Tlachichuca, Mexico to climb Pico de Orizaba. Since then, she has transferred to BYU and has taken many classes which have expanded her interest in the environment, such as environmental biology, soil science, and chemistry.
Taylor Chattin
Taylor is a sophomore in BYU’s wildlife and wildlands conservation major. She has aspirations of becoming a zoo curator and working with manatees.
Vivine Chen
Vivine is an undergraduate student from upstate New York studying Environmental Science. She enjoys to collecting and organizing data from different experiments. She likes to use her phone to stay connected and to be socially aware.
Rya Clifton
Rya Clifton is studying statistics with the goal of becoming a data scientist.
Trevor Crandall
Trevor Crandall was a master's student working on water quality in the western US.
Madalynn Drennan
Madalynn is an undergraduate studying Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation. She is from Dallas,Texas and loves hiking in Zion National Park.
Danny Dudley
Danny is an undergraduate from Lake Tahoe, NV studying Strategic Management and Environmental Science. He loves listening to music, biking, reading, and spending time outdoors. He is passionate about the impact of environmental policy on people and places.
Zach Eliason
Zach is an undergraduate student in Bioinformatics from Provo, UT. He has strong interests in ecology and conservation.
Rebecca Frei
Rebecca Frei is a Seattle native studying Environmental Science and International Development, currently working on projects studying Arctic permafrost degradation and headwater catchment resilience.
Mitchell Greenhalgh
Mitchell Greenhalgh is a senior studying environmental science and statistics. He is a lab manager in the Abbott Lab. He has experience in R and ArcGIS and introductory experience in Python, SAS, and SQL.
Jacob Gudmundsen
Jacob Gudmundsen is an undergraduate student majoring in Economics and minoring in Environmental Science. He has a strong passion for connecting the interests of economic growth with environmental stewardship.
Margaret Hancock
Margaret is a sophomore from the San Francisco Bay Area majoring in Nutritional Science and minoring in Chemistry. She is planning to go into medicine.
Brynn Hogan
Brynn Hoggan is an undergraduate studying Environmental Science and Spanish.
Jansen Howe
Jansen Howe is an undergraduate student in Environmental Science from Ephraim, UT.
Amanda Huebner
Was an undergrad in the Abbott lab from Los Angeles. She is currently a student at UC Davis, where she studies water security and chemistry.
Brigham Jewkes
Brigham Jewkes is an undergraduate Biology student with aspirations of becoming a dentist and an advocate for environmental health.
Whitney Kingsolver
Whitney is an undergraduate student from Orem, Utah and she is studying Biodiversity and Conservation. She has always had a passion for protecting the environment. She enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and roller skating!
Lexanne Klimes
Lexanne is an undergraduate from Minnesota studying Environmental Science and Portuguese. She is interested in plants and water ecology, and hopes to help conserve river systems and prevent pollution in Latin America.
Katie Lawrence
Katie is a junior undergraduate studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. They are in charge of coordinating synoptic sampling events in the Abbott Lab and are heading a project on public transportation in Utah County. They are interested in sustainable cities and infrastructure, as well as soil and and plants and their relationship to ecosystems. Their hobbies include learning about extremely niche topics, playing with their dog, and binge-reading.
Justin Lemke
Justin is an undergraduate student from Los Alamos, New Mexico studying Public Health-Epidemiology and Microbiology. He has a strong affinity for conservation and ecology. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, backpacking, cooking and spending time with dogs for mental health.
Andrew Luymes
Andrew Luymes is from Pasadena, California and is studying Environmental Science with a minor in International Strategy and Diplomacy.
Marina Merritt
Marina Merritt is an undergraduate student in Chemical Engineering. Her goal is to learn man-made as well as natural processes involved in delivering sanitary water to a community, and is currently helping with various projects in the lab. When she is not stumped by her homework, she enjoys running, pretending she can dance, and improving her cooking skills.
Haley Moon
Haley Moon is the field manager in the Abbott Lab. She is a senior from Sandy, Utah studying Environmental Science and Sustainability, with minors in Geology and Western American Studies. She loves exploring National Parks, reading, and watching John Wayne movies.
Nick Newbold
Nick is an Environmental Science major from Kaysville, Utah. He loves everything from cheesecake, bigfoot stories, and his wife and baby daughter...not necessarily in that order. He is also minoring in International Development and would love to marry that with his major eventually.
Luke Oldham
Luke is an undergraduate student from Eagle River, Alaska studying Exercise Science. He is planning on going to medical school and enjoys skiing, backpacking, traveling, and music.
Abbie Packard
Abbie is an undergraduate from Draper, UT studying Global Supply Chain Management. She has a passion for environmental sustainability in businesses and hopes to create a large impact by working with corporations to create a balanced and sustainable approach to the 3Ps: people, profit, and the planet.
Ryan Packham
Ryan is a sophomore from Idaho majoring in Environmental Science. He hopes to improve environmental stewardship in developing countries through research and educational outreach programs.
Isaac Parrish
Isaac Parrish is a Junior from Salem, Utah studying Exercise Science and Gerontology. He is very interested in healthy lifestyles and helping others making changes to have a happy and healthy life; especially the underserved. Isaac is also interested in the recent wildfires. He loves being outside with friends mountain biking and playing Pickleball. He plans to go to medical school and work in Family Medicine.
Leika Patch
Leika Patch (pronounced lake- uh) is an undergraduate at BYU studying Environmental Science, and minoring in Philosophy.
Liz Peterson
Liz Peterson is from Cedar Hills, Utah. She studies Environmental Science and is pursuing a minor in creative writing.
Heather Phipps
Heather is an Environmental Science major in BYU's Department of Plant and Wildlife Science. She has a strong desire to enhance environmental stewardship, personal accountability, and the application of science and technology.
Shiloh Ploeg
Shiloh is an Environmental Science undergrad student from Pleasant Grove, Utah.
Rachel R.S. Poulsen
Rachel is a senior from Ohio studying environmental science and sustainability. Her professional interests include both environmental and economic sustainability, specifically with the goal of helping businesses develop more sustainable practices. Rachel’s hobbies include reading, cooking and baking, and anything Marvel or Harry Potter related.
Mary Proteau
Mary Proteau is an undergraduate student majoring in Environmental Science from Connecticut. She is a lab manager in the Abbott Lab.
Sarah Rollins
Sarah is a BYU undergraduate student from Orlando, Florida. She studies Environmental Science and hopes to be an advocate for environmental health and sustainable living.
Makaylee Roylance
Makaylee Roylance is an undergraduate in biophysics.
Emilee Severe
Emilee Severe is an undergraduate student studying Environmental Science from Idaho. She is currently helping with the educational outreach component of our lab's recent NSF grant. She is interested in hydrology, agriculture and environmental science education. She hopes to learn how to best teach environmental topics to rural communities and to help people reconcile their political beliefs with climate change.
Rhetta Shoemaker
Rhetta Shoemaker received a thorough education of the natural world while growing up in rural New Mexico.
Jacob Spencer
Jacob is a junior majoring in microbiology. He is very interested in the environment and how we can best protect it. He love sports, dogs and family. He look forward to going to dental school in the future.
Carson Thompson
Carson Thompson is an undergraduate student from eastern Washington studying Environmental Science. He is currently leading a research project investigating how sustainable agriculture incentive programs in Utah can be made more effective.
Allie Tuttle Asay
Allie Tuttle Asay is an undergraduate in Environmental Science from Alpine, Utah.
Camila Vargas
Camila Vargas is from Bogotá, Colombia and has worked on soil analysis from areas occupied by the Mayas in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.
Rachel Watts
Rachel Watts is an undergraduate in Environmental Science, born and raised in Houston, Texas.
Zak Webber
Zak Webber is from Payson, Utah and is a senior studying Molecular Biology at BYU. Zak is investigating phytoremediation techniques to improve water quality in the Navajo Nation. Upon graduation from BYU he hopes to enter Medical School and actively participate in research and service. Zak loves to trail run in his sandals, kayak, do things that make him sweat, play guitar, and bake.
Derrek Wilson
Derrek Wilson is a senior from Utah studying Environmental Science.