Lab Personnel
Director
Steve Petersen
Undergrad Degree: B.S. Conservation Biology, Brigham Young University (1994)
Graduate Programs: M.S. Range Science, Brigham Young University (1997); Ph.D. Rangeland Resources (GIS/Remote Sensing) 2004
Research Interests: Geospatial analysis of range and wildlife habitat
Biography: Native of Utah. Employed by UDWR, USFS, Park Service and SAIC (Yucca Mountain Project). Professor at Oregon State University (2004-7).
Graduate Programs: M.S. Range Science, Brigham Young University (1997); Ph.D. Rangeland Resources (GIS/Remote Sensing) 2004
Research Interests: Geospatial analysis of range and wildlife habitat
Biography: Native of Utah. Employed by UDWR, USFS, Park Service and SAIC (Yucca Mountain Project). Professor at Oregon State University (2004-7).
PhD Students
Thomas Krebs

Undergrad Degree: B.S. Range and Wildlife Management, BYU (2004)
Graduate Programs:
M.S. Ecology and Evolution, Northern Illinois University (NIU, 2007)
Ph.D. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, BYU (2021 expected graduation)
Research Interests: Effects of feral horses on desert rivers, Plant taxonomy, Aquatic macroinvertebrates, River Geomorphology
Biography: Grew up in Maryland and Virginia. Specialized at BYU in range restoration and ecology. Research population ecology of aquatic macroinvertebrates at NIU. Spent 5 years in Georgia restoring streams and wetlands. Spent 7 years in Arizona as an ecologist for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Since 2018, working as COO of The Barn Group Land Trust. Currently living in Arizona with my wife and 3 cherished junior ecologists.
Graduate Programs:
M.S. Ecology and Evolution, Northern Illinois University (NIU, 2007)
Ph.D. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, BYU (2021 expected graduation)
Research Interests: Effects of feral horses on desert rivers, Plant taxonomy, Aquatic macroinvertebrates, River Geomorphology
Biography: Grew up in Maryland and Virginia. Specialized at BYU in range restoration and ecology. Research population ecology of aquatic macroinvertebrates at NIU. Spent 5 years in Georgia restoring streams and wetlands. Spent 7 years in Arizona as an ecologist for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Since 2018, working as COO of The Barn Group Land Trust. Currently living in Arizona with my wife and 3 cherished junior ecologists.
Masters Students
Nic Anderson

Undergrad Degree: B.S. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young University
Graduate Program: M.S. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young University
Research Interests: My interests include ecology, remote sensing, and GIS. I love nature and observing how different components interact with one another. In my current projects I am looking at the impacts of commercial honeybees on native pollinators, and using high resolution drone imagery to measure floral resources in subalpine communities. I am an avid outdoorsman, I love hunting, fishing, hiking, and scuba diving. I have a love for nature and learning and hope to become a university professor.
Graduate Program: M.S. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young University
Research Interests: My interests include ecology, remote sensing, and GIS. I love nature and observing how different components interact with one another. In my current projects I am looking at the impacts of commercial honeybees on native pollinators, and using high resolution drone imagery to measure floral resources in subalpine communities. I am an avid outdoorsman, I love hunting, fishing, hiking, and scuba diving. I have a love for nature and learning and hope to become a university professor.
Ryan Howell

Undergrad Degree: B.S. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young University
Graduate Program: M.S. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young Unviversity
Research Interests: GIS, Remote Sensing, Mammalian and Avian Ecology
Biography I grew up in rural Alaska and New Mexico and have always had a deep appreciation for the natural world. I've spent countless hours hiking, hunting, and fishing and just enjoying the scenery. Then I discovered GIS and knew I wanted a career with a heavy GIS emphasis.
Graduate Program: M.S. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young Unviversity
Research Interests: GIS, Remote Sensing, Mammalian and Avian Ecology
Biography I grew up in rural Alaska and New Mexico and have always had a deep appreciation for the natural world. I've spent countless hours hiking, hunting, and fishing and just enjoying the scenery. Then I discovered GIS and knew I wanted a career with a heavy GIS emphasis.
Ryan Shields

Undergrad Degree: B.S. Geography
Graduate Program: M.S. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation
Research Interests: GIS, Remote Sensing, Marine Spatial Planning
Biography:
Graduate Program: M.S. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation
Research Interests: GIS, Remote Sensing, Marine Spatial Planning
Biography:
Undergraduate Students
Haley Johnston

Undergrad Degree: B.S. Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation
Research Interests: Wildlife Ecology
Biography: I grew up in Utah, and was raised with a love of learning and desire to understand more about how our world works. I love going on trail runs in the mountains, camping, fishing with my dad, and basically just being outdoors. When I grow up, eventually... I hope to go on to graduate school and one day work performing research in Wildlife Conservation and Biology.
Research Interests: Wildlife Ecology
Biography: I grew up in Utah, and was raised with a love of learning and desire to understand more about how our world works. I love going on trail runs in the mountains, camping, fishing with my dad, and basically just being outdoors. When I grow up, eventually... I hope to go on to graduate school and one day work performing research in Wildlife Conservation and Biology.
Collaborators
Chris Balzotti

Natural Resource Manager, The Nature Conservancy - Hawai'i, Hilo, HI
Undergrad Degree: B.S. Environmental Science, Brigham Young University
Graduate Programs:
M.S. Wildlife Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young University
Ph.D. Geography, University of Utah
Research Interests: Remote Sensing of Tropical Ecosystems; Habitat modeling and geospatial analysis of plant and animal populations
Biography: Postdoc Research Scientist, Carnegie Lab, Stanford, CA
Undergrad Degree: B.S. Environmental Science, Brigham Young University
Graduate Programs:
M.S. Wildlife Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young University
Ph.D. Geography, University of Utah
Research Interests: Remote Sensing of Tropical Ecosystems; Habitat modeling and geospatial analysis of plant and animal populations
Biography: Postdoc Research Scientist, Carnegie Lab, Stanford, CA
Stan Kitchen

Shrub Lab, US Forest Service, Provo, Utah
Graduate Program: Ph.D. Wildlife Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young University
Research Interests: I conduct research on historical and current disturbance processes and their effects on the composition, structure and stability of shrublands, woodlands, and forests of the Central Intermountain Region (USA).
Graduate Program: Ph.D. Wildlife Wildlands Conservation, Brigham Young University
Research Interests: I conduct research on historical and current disturbance processes and their effects on the composition, structure and stability of shrublands, woodlands, and forests of the Central Intermountain Region (USA).
Steve Schill

Lead Scientist, The Nature Conservancy - Caribbean Division, Coral Gables, FL
Undergrad Degree: B.A. Geography: International Development, Utah State University
Graduate Degree:
M.S. Geography: Geographic Information Systems, University of South Carolina;
Ph.D. Geography: Remote Sensing, University of South Carolina
Research Interests: Remote Sensing of Marine Ecosystems; GIS for the development of marine protected areas
Biography:
Undergrad Degree: B.A. Geography: International Development, Utah State University
Graduate Degree:
M.S. Geography: Geographic Information Systems, University of South Carolina;
Ph.D. Geography: Remote Sensing, University of South Carolina
Research Interests: Remote Sensing of Marine Ecosystems; GIS for the development of marine protected areas
Biography: