The LEAF Lab team, Fall 2023
Left to right: Philip Baracato, Catie Castagnet, Badri Ghimire, Nathan Gill. Holden Hobbs, Shin Naing, George Gyan, Maria Anastacio, Collin Norvell
Dr. Nathan S Gill
Assistant Professor of Natural Resources Management
I am a physical geographer and a landscape ecologist. I study the relationships between fire, plants, and people. My research interests are primarily centered on what a future with more fire means for ecosystem functioning and land management
B.S.: Geographic Information Systems (Brigham Young University '13),
M.A.: Geography (Clark University '16)
PhD: Geography (Clark University '18)
I love learning new things about fire and teaching those things to students and others. The best parts about my job are that it keeps me engaged in lifelong learning, surrounds me with wonderful people and requires that I work outdoors in amazing places.
George Gyan
Ph.D. Candidate
I am a geomatic engineer and an environmental science researcher. I enjoy utilizing geographic concepts, techniques, and tools including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine challenges related to fire-outbreaks, and natural resource management. I am excited to continue my studies to gain deeper knowledge and skills in fire ecology, conservation science, and natural resources management. I am privileged to be part of the Landscape Ecology and Fire (LEAF) lab and the Bridge Adventure program in the Department of Natural Resources Management at Texas Tech University as I pursue my doctoral studies.
My research interests include the following.
1. Fire Behavior Modeling and fire effects
2. Natural resources management
3. Aquatic ecosystem management
MS: Economics of Environment and Natural Resource Management (Sumy State University, Ukraine)
BS: Geomatics Engineering (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi-Ghana)
Badri Ghimire
Ph.D. Candidate
I am honored to be a recipient of the National Needs Fellowship and to join the LEAF Lab at Texas Tech University for a PhD. During my doctoral program, I plan to explore plant-fire interaction and use the Remote Sensing (RS) technique to examine post-fire changes in plant communities. Additionally, I am interested in applying Quantitative Wood Anatomy (QWA) to examine the impact of fires on wood anatomical structures. My area of interest are:
1. Effects of fire on plant communities
2. Variability of wood anatomical structures in relation to fire
3. Plant-herbivore interactions
4. Natural resources management
MS in Biological Sciences, California State University, Chico, California.
MSc in Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
BSc in Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Brittney Schilling
MS Student
I am excited to be the recipient of the Pendleton Scholarship and be working in the LEAF Lab. During my time at UM I worked with Colorado State University's AgNext research team on a pilot project looking into methane emissions of cattle on semi-arid rangelands in Nunn, CO. I then worked for USDA agricultural research services looking into how cattle grazing can be used as a tool to reach management objectives for wildlife habitat. This work inspired me to write my senior thesis on the effect of cattle presence on the abundance of elk in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. These experiences are what fostered my interest in rangeland ecology and ultimately what led me to pursue my master's degree here at Texas Tech looking at how differences in fire history in a site can impact wildfire severity and species composition. My areas of interest are:
1. Prescribed Fire
2. Rangeland ecology
3. Grazing management
4. Wildlife-agriculture interactions
B.S.: Wildlife Biology, University of Montana (minors in Mathematics, Fire Science and Restoration Ecology)
Autumn Strother
MS Student; Co-advised in Agricultural Communications
Holden Hobbs
TRUE Scholar (Undergraduate)
I am an undergraduate researcher at the University of Texas Tech, where I am pursuing a degree in conservation science. As a member of the LEAF Lab and vice president of the Texas Tech chapter of the Student Association for Fire Ecology, I plan to pursue a career in wildland firefighting to deepen my knowledge and understanding of fire.
Alexis Anderson
TRUE Scholar (Undergraduate)
I am a senior biology major with a concentration in Premedical Health Studies. I enjoy relating my biology studies and personal experiences back to natural resources management projects. My research interests are broad and include topics such as: wildfire hazard/risk, cancer biology, fire suppression, and epidemiology.