.png)
Meet the ASU Team
Photo Courtesy of Bruce Taubert
 | Kelli Larson, Professor of Geography and Sustainability at ASU
Kelli Larson is a Professor at Arizona State University who moved to the Sonoran Desert in 2005 and regularly engages students in her research. Her work focuses on how people interact with nature and manage urban landscapes and the environment. When she is not working, Kelli practices yoga and loves to hike, paddle, and otherwise explore nature and different places throughout Arizona and elsewhere. She also enjoys spending time with her dogs, going to plays, and cooking. You can learn more about Kelli or contact her through ASU. |
| Sophia Ruger, ASU Undergraduate Student and Researcher
Sophia Ruger is completing her Sustainability degree and a certificate in Geographic Information Science. She hopes to provide applicable solutions for significant environmental and health related issues in cities across the globe. If she’s not busy at school, she is out rock climbing, wakeboarding, or sewing at home. She is searching for internships or professional experiences, so feel free to connect with through LinkedIn. Sophia also plans to develop her Honors thesis on wildlife gardening in metropolitan Phoenix, AZ with continued work with Drs. Larson and Trgovac on the spatial and temporal dynamics of NWF-certified habitats and gardening for wildlife broadly. |
|
Alexandra (Lexi) Cegielski, ASU Undergraduate Student and Researcher
Lexi Cegielski is an undergraduate student at Arizona State University majoring in Sustainability and Urban Planning. She is passionate about creating sustainable cities and preserving wildlife. Growing up in Arizona, Lexi spends her free time enjoying the outdoors with friends and family. In her spare time, she loves baking vegan desserts, hiking, and practicing yoga. To learn more about Lexi’s work and passions, visit her LinkedIn. |
|
Sharika Kapur, ASU Undergraduate Student Researcher
Sharika Kapur is majoring in Sustainability with a concentration in Society and Sustainability. She aspires to leverage her education to drive positive social and ecological change. Beyond her academic pursuits, she loves to express herself creatively through painting and sculpting. She would love to connect with others passionate about environmental health. You can reach her via LinkedIn. |
| Andrew "Drew" Trgovac, Assistant Teaching Professor in GIScience at ASU
Originally hailing from central Pennsylvania, Drew has resided in Arizona since 2019. Drew's present research involves applications of GIScience as well as improving pedagogical methodologies in the GIScience classroom. His goal is to cultivate a classroom atmosphere where students are actively engaged and regularly participate in research projects at ASU. Outside of the classroom, Drew enjoys hiking, playing pickleball, cooking, and exploring Phoenix's rich cocktail culture. |
Other Contributors:
The following scholars led research featured in these blogs and reviewed the stories featuring their work.
Susannah Lerman: Dr. Lerman is a Research Ecologist with the Northern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service and is also affiliated with the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Her work seeks to enhance the sustainability of urban, residential, and human-dominated landscapes, with particular focus on land stewardship and conservation of birds, bees, and other wildlife.
Joan Nassauer: Dr. Nassauer is a Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Michigan. Her research aims to understand the cultural sustainability of ecological infrastructure through “cues of care” and other mechanisms. From neighborhoods to continents, she investigates how to design landscapes in cities and watersheds for biodiversity, stormwater management, and other outcomes.
Josep Padullés Cubino: Dr. Padullés Cubino is a tenure-track professor in Botany at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in Spain. His research focuses on the spatial and temporal dynamics of human-plant relationships in natural and human-dominated habitats, with special attention to the explanations underlying vegetation communities and biodiversity outcomes.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant numbers: DEB-2224662, Central Arizona–Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research, and MSB FRA 1638725, Alternative Futures for the American Residential Macrosystem
| Arizona Wildlife Federation PO Box 1182, Mesa, AZ 85211 The Arizona Wildlife Federation is a Registered 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. EIN# 86-0076994 |
