Center Director Jessica Halofsky

E-mail: Contact Jessica
Phone: 360-753-7677

Jessica's research is focused on assessing potential effects of climate change on forest vegetation and disturbance regimes, using both modelling and field-based approaches. She facilitates development of climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans for national forests and other partners across the western United States. Her current focus has been on developing tools to facilitate application of vulnerability assessment and adaptation information in management processes. She holds B.S. from Bucknell University (1999), a M.A. from Penn State University (2002), and a Ph.D. in Forest Science from Oregon State University.

Jessica Schlarbaum

E-mail: Contact Jessica
Phone: 714-458-5563

Jessica Schlarbaum is an ORISE Science Communications fellow with WWETAC. She received a M.S. from the University of California, Davis in Avian Sciences in 2020, studying the nesting ecology of American Kestrels in agricultural habitats in the Central Valley of CA. During graduate school, she taught an introductory biological sciences course, assisted farmers with natural pest management using raptors, and worked at a raptor rehabilitation facility educating the public about human-raptor conflicts. After graduating, Jessica became the Communications Manager at a non-profit wildlife center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Throughout all her experiences, science communication has been a constant and she is eager to continue making scientific information accessible to a diverse audience.

John Kim

E-mail: Contact John
Phone: 541-750-7287

John Kim is an ecological modeller with Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center and with the Pacific Northwest Research Station. He studies climate change impacts on vegetation using dynamic global vegetation models. He has a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and a B.A. in Computer Science from University of California San Diego.

Matt Reilly

E-mail: Contact Matt
Phone: 706-338-1372

Matt is a forest ecologist with a wide breadth of research experiences and interests that span a range of spatial scales and levels of biological organization. His work integrates field data with cutting-edge remote sensing applications to study vegetation response to disturbance and climate change. He holds B.S. from University of Vermont (1999), a M.S. from the University of Georgia (2004), and a Ph.D. in Forest Science from Oregon State University (2015).

Thomas Timberlake

E-mail: Contact Thomas
Phone: 720-693-1950

Thomas joined WWETAC on a rotational detail, working on efforts to translate science into practice. He is developing tools to help managers use climate change vulnerability assessments in forest planning and management decisions. Thomas is a Presidential Management Fellow and normally works in the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Regional Office where he manages partnerships with municipal water providers focused on reducing wildfire risk. Thomas received a B.A. in sustainable development and environmental science from Columbia University (2012), and completed a PhD in Forest Sciences at Colorado State University (2019). Trained as a social scientist, Thomas conducted research on climate change adaptation, managing and planning for resilient ecosystems, and vulnerability assessments in the Forest Service.

Charlie Schrader-Patton

E-mail: Contact Charlie
Phone: 541-312-4291

Charlie Schrader-Patton is a Geospatial Analyst and Application Developer with RedCastle Resources, Inc., and is working under contract for WWETAC through the Forest Service Geospatial Technology Applications Center. His work for WWETAC involves using cutting-edge geospatial technology to develop web mapping applications that tell the spatial story behind wildland threats. In addition, he provides consultation and support to WWETAC scientists regarding Remote Sensing and GIS projects. Charlie has held several positions with the Forest Service, including Wildlife Biologist and Timber Pre-Sale Technician. He received a B.A. in Biology from Lewis and Clark College and an M.S. in Forest Resource Conservation from the University of Montana.

Holly R. Prendeville

E-mail: Contact Holly
Phone: 503-560-3936

As Coordinator Dr. Holly R. Prendeville is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships, communicating use and availability of climate change tools, coordinating grants and agreements, as well as developing and implementing strategies for producing priority outcomes for the Northwest Climate Hub. Holly has been the Coordinator since 2016. As a Forest Service Research Geneticist, Holly collaborated with other scientists to investigate the efficacy of seed zones developed for bluebunch wheatgrass in the Intermountain West. This work provides guidelines to facilitate restoration using locally adapted material that will be resilient in the face of climate change. As a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia, Holly investigated how plant reproductive phenology varies among populations across a latitudinal gradient in the eastern US. Holly obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior studying the ecological risks of virus-resistant transgenic squash by examining the effects of virus and the virus-resistant transgene in wild squash.

Dave Peterson

E-mail: Contact Dave
Phone: 541-312-4291

Dave Peterson is an Emeritus Senior Research Scientist with the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, and Professor of Forest Biology at the University of Washington. He previously worked for the Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, National Park Service, and U.S. Geological Survey. He has conducted research on fire science and climate change throughout the western United States and has published 270 scientific articles and five books on these topics. As a contributing author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He co-led the Forests chapter of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, and currently works on climate change assessments and adaptation on federal lands in the western United States. He received a PhD in Forest Biology at the University of Illinois. Dave lives in Skagit County, Washington, where he manages Mountain Heart Tree Farm.

Lisa Balduman

E-mail: Contact Lisa
Phone: 541-750-7395

Lisa Balduman works as a technical information specialist for WWETAC. She received her B.S in Forest Biology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and her M.S. in Forest Science from Oregon State University after completing a project studying the genetics of cold hardiness in coastal Douglas fir. She has worked for the Forest Service in various capacities since 1990. Lisa is a content developer for TACCIMO (Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options) and is contributing to the development of a new tool, FP_DECK (Forest Plan Database and Exchange of Knowledge).