Principal Investigators
Clare Aslan, PhD
Associate Director and Associate Professor, School of Earth and Sustainability
Co-Director, Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes
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Associate Director and Associate Professor, School of Earth and Sustainability
Co-Director, Center for Adaptable Western LandscapesDr. Clare Aslan is a community ecologist and conservation biologist, interested in the ecology and conservation of species interactions, how dynamics at the interaction level can scale up to affect full communities, and how social-ecological dynamics influence biodiversity. She is passionate about solutions-oriented research. Clare obtained her PhD from the University of California, Davis, and completed a Smith Conservation Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California-Santa Cruz. Her current projects include studies of mutualism disruption; cross-boundary ecological connectivity; endangered species conservation; restoration of interspecific interactions; and social-ecological resilience. Clare enjoys outdoor adventures with her husband and two kids, cats, creative writing, basketball, and the diverse, captivating communities and landscapes of Arizona.
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2010-2012
David H. Smith Conservation Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
University of California, Santa Cruz
March 2010
Ph.D., Ecology
University of California, Davis
December 2000
B.S., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Arizona
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2020-present
Co-director, Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes
Northern Arizona University
2020-present
Associate Director, School of Earth and Sustainability
Northern Arizona University
2015-present
Associate Professor, School of Earth and Sustainability
Northern Arizona University
2010-2012
David H. Smith Conservation Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
University of California, Santa Cruz
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2018
Most Promising New Scholar Award
Northern Arizona University
2018
Sustainability Leadership Award
Northern Arizona University
Sara Souther, PhD
Assistant Research Professor, School of Earth and Sustainability
Core member, Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes
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Dr. Sara Souther is a plant ecologist and conservation biologist, who studies the structure and dynamics of human-environment interactions. Sara uses a variety of tools, including demographic and spatial modeling, experimental plantings and common garden construction, and innovative statistical analysis to identify behaviors or management structures that promote resilient ecosystems. The long-term mission of this multidisciplinary and collaborative work is to provide information to conserve ecological systems, as well as the diversity of human interactions with these systems, in a time of rapid anthropogenic change. Sara enjoys spending time with her family, word and mind games, cooking, eating the products of cooking, art, biking, plants in all their green glory, and, of course, ecological research.
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2011-2013
David H. Smith Conservation Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
University of Wisconsin, Madison
2011
P.h.D., Biology
West Virginia University
May 2003
B.S., Biology, and B.A., Sociology and Anthropology
West Virginia University
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2018-present
Assistant Research Professor, School of Earth and Sustainability
Northern Arizona University
2017-2018
Research Faculty, School of Earth and Sustainability
Northern Arizona University
2014–2016
Assistant Professor
West Virginia Wesleyan College
2011- 2013
David H. Smith Conservation Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
University of Wisconsin, Madison
2003-2006
Peace Corps Paraguay
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2011
David Fairchild Blaydes Biology Doctoral Dissertation Scholarship
West Virginia University
Research Staff
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Morgan Andrews
Research Associate
Morgan is a research associate who collaborates with Drs. Sara Souther and Clare Aslan, as well as graduate students, on a variety of ecological research projects. With a BA in Environmental Sciences from Northern Arizona University, Morgan is deeply passionate about the environment, especially the unique ecosystems of the southwest, which fuels her strong commitment to conservation. Beyond her work, she strives to make a broader impact in conservation through her photography—most of the photos featured on this website are hers—and by engaging in fieldwork that directly contributes to protection and restoration of wild spaces. Outside of her professional life, Morgan is an avid backpacker and a volunteer with the Coconino County Search and Rescue Team, where she’s able to give back to her community while further developing her wilderness skills.
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Scott Gilb
Research Associate
Scott Gilb is a research associate and recent M.S. graduate in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at NAU. Scott supports the Lab of Conservation Ecology through technical expertise, communication, and field work. Fascinated by the intersection of ecology and technology, he loves to translate complex data (ranging from plant genomes to fire histories) into actionable reports and fun maps. Aside from work, Scott loves to run, ski, paint, and immerse himself in epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi stories.
Affiliated Faculty
Rebecca Best, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Sustainability
Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes
Rebecca Best is an affiliate of the Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes and an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Sustainability. She is an aquatic community and evolutionary ecologist interested in the processes that determine the number and type of species coexisting in a particular community, and the way those communities function. Her lab works on the effects of climate on aquatic connectivity, species distributions, and the ecology and evolution of riparian tree traits.
Karen Haubensak, PhD
Associate Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes
Karen is a terrestrial biologist interested in how species interact in communities and ecosystems. She is particularly interested in practical questions about restoration success in challenging environments.
