WESTERN WILDFIRE RESILIENCE INDEX
  • Home
  • About the Project
  • Meet the Team
  • FAQs
  • Contact

Who We Are

Picture

Ben Halpern

Principal Investigator

In addition to serving as the Principal Investigator for the WWRI project, Ben Halpern is the Executive Director of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). His research focuses on a broad range of topics at the intersection of marine ecology and conservation science. Halpern is also a professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Picture

Cat Fong

Lead Project Scientist & Project Manager

Dr. Cat Fong’s research focuses primarily on social and ecological resilience and includes field, lab, and modeling work. Fong joined NCEAS in 2020 as a research scientist to explore how aquaculture could be leveraged as a sustainability solution. Fong earned a BA and a PhD in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Picture

Rachel King

Postdoctoral Scientist

As a Postdoctoral Scientist at NCEAS, Rachel King’s research focuses on understanding and improving our capacity to monitor biodiversity and investigates key traits that influence the resilience of biodiversity to disturbances like fire. More broadly, King’s research explores the consequences of anthropogenic disturbances on species and ecosystem processes. King earned a BA from Scripps College and a PhD in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.  
Picture

Carlo Broderick

Data Analyst

Carlo Broderick is passionate about using data science to measure and manage environmental externalities. He also has a special interest in satellite image and machine learning technology and its potential impact on sustainable development. Broderick holds a master's degree in Environmental Data Science from UC Santa Barbara, a Project Management Professional certification from UC Berkeley, and a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Economics from UC Santa Cruz.
Picture

Joe DeCesaro 

Data Analyst

Joe DeCesaro is a data analyst currently working on the WWRI project and a research project focused on the changing environmental pressures of global diet shift. He previously worked on research at NCEAS that focused on marine aquaculture and climate change. DeCesaro received his undergraduate degree in materials engineering from Cal Poly - SLO and master's degree in Environmental Data Science from UCSB.
Picture


Erika Egg

Data Analyst

Erika Egg is a data analyst for WWRI. Her experience includes index calculations, metadata curation, marine chemical analysis, landscape restoration, urban forestry, food security, environmental impacts of COVID-19, and more. At UCSB, Egg completed a BA in Environmental Studies, Linguistics, and History of Art and Architecture and afterwards completed a MEDS (Master of Environmental Data Science).
Picture


Mona Farnisa​

Data​ Analyst

Mona Farnisa is a WWRI data analyst with an interest in spatial analysis statistics. Her background is in plant ecology, ecological data analysis, and nutrient efficient crop production. Farnisa holds a MS in environmental science and natural resources from the University of Nevada, Reno and a BS in environmental science from Amsterdam University College in The Netherlands.

The WWRI Working Group

Our team works with an external group of experts in forestry, fire ecology, computing, and other disciplines.
Ilkay Altintas, UC San Diego
Oliver Brandes, University of Victoria
Joan Dudney, UC Santa Barbara
Winslow Hansen, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Shefali Juneja Lakhina, Wonder Labs
Miranda Mockrin, US Forest Service
​Max Moritz, UC Santa Barbara
Connor Nolan, Stanford University
Malcolm North, US Forest Service
Marek Smith, The Nature Conservancy
Claire Tortorelli, UC Davis

The WWRI Advisory Committee

We periodically seek feedback from individuals with specialized knowledge and experience. The Advisory Committee includes:
Sarah Anderson, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UC Santa Barbara
John Battles, UC Berkeley
Dr. Lori D. Daniels, Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, University of British Columbia
Frank Frievalt, Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Institute, Cal Poly
Leslie Jones, American Forests (on detail to USDA-Natural Resources & Environment through February 2025)
Ann Kapusta, Earth Fire Alliance
Matthew Wibbenmeyer, Resources for the Future
Picture
Picture
Western Wildfire Resilience Index is hosted at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation as part of the Wildfire Resilience Initiative.
[email protected]
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About the Project
  • Meet the Team
  • FAQs
  • Contact