Akasha M. Faist
akasha.faist@colorado.edu
EDUCATION_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
University of Colorado, Boulder
Enrolled in 2010
Ph.D. Student in Ecology and Evolutionary biology
Focus: Restoration ecology in vernal pools
Boulder, CO, USA
Southern Oregon University
Bachelors of Science awarded 6/2004
Major: Biology
Ashland, OR USA
Waikato University
One year college coursework completed 7/2001
Focus: Biological sciences
Hamilton, New Zealand
RESEARCH/WORK EXPERIENCE_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Lab/Field Technician II
University of California Merced
1/2009 to 9/2010
Duties: Initiated a germination chamber study of the effects of warming on common Rocky Mountain conifer species and conducted
alpine vegetation and phenological surveys at the CU-Mountain Research Station in Nederland CO.
Lead Bio Science Tech
Rocky Mountain Research Station
Duties: Acted as a crew leader for a seasonal forest mastication study crew.
5/2008 to 11/2008
Bio Science Technician (plants) Grand Canyon National Park
Intermittent hire from 4/2007 to 9/2008
Duties: Participated in the Colorado River Management Plan (CRMP) inner canyon vegetation surveys.
Fire Effects Monitor
Zion National Park
4/2007 to 10/2007
Duties: Completed post-fire vegetation surveys using a variety of sampling methods.
Fire Monitor
Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park
5/2006 to 11/2006
Duties: Assisted in various wildland fire duties in Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks fire management program.
Fire Effects Monitor
Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park
5/2005 to 5/2005
Duties: Similar duties as in the Fire Effects Monitor Position of Zion National Park.
Research Assistant
Yale University
9/2005-12/2005
Duties: Aided in collecting fire ecology data primarily in the Sierra del Carmen mountain range of Coahuila, Mexico, and secondarily
the Davis Mountains and Big Bend NP, Texas.
Forestry Aid (Fire)
McKenzie Ranger District
6/2005 to 9/2005
Duties: Worked on a 20 person wildland fire hand crew based in Central Oregon.
Biological Field Studies
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
6/2003 to 9/2003
Duties: Monitored Hawksbill Sea Turtle (E. imbricata) nesting beaches on the Big Island of the Hawaiian island chain.
Stream and Lake Surveyor
Rogue Community College
Seasonally from 6/1997 to 9/2000
Duties: Conducted level I, II, and III stream surveys and lake sampling in conjunction with the US Forest Service in National Forests
of Southern Oregon and Northern California.
PUBLICATIONS/POSTERS/PRESENTATIONS_________________________________________________________________
Faist, A.M. and S.K. Collinge. Characterization of soil seed banks in California vernal pools: Links to restoration success. (In prep)
L.M. Kueppers, A.M. Faist, S.M. Ferrenberg, J. Wolfe and C. Castanha. Effects of temperature, species and provenance on subalpine
tree seedling germination and initial development using controlled environment chambers. (In prep)
Faist, A.M., S.K Collinge and C. Ray. Using seed banks of Calfornia vernal pools to better understand restoration success. Guild of
Rocky Mountain Ecologists and Evolutionary Biologists, C.U. Mountain Research Station, September 2011.
Faist, A.M., S.K. Collinge and C. Ray. Characterization of soil seed banks in California vernal pools: Links to restoration success.
Ecological Society of America presentation, Austin 2011.
L.M. Kueppers, A.M. Faist, S.M. Ferrenberg, and C. Castanha. 2009. Population and species differences in treeline tree species
germination in response to climate change. Eos Trans. AGU, 90(52), Fall Meet. Suppl.,Poster Abstract B23A-0360.
GRANTS/AWARDS__________________________________________________________________________________________
Colorado Native Plant Society Award, Student grant, $500
2011
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, research grant, $1,500
2011
Society of Wetland Scientists, Student Grant, $1,000
2011
Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), Student travel grant, $500
2011
OUTREACH/MENTORING___________________________________________________________________________________
E.N.V.S. undergraduate (Kristen Lee Kernan) mentor on her creation of a digital vernal pool seed herbarium.
Mentored an R.E.U. student (Daniella Rodriguez) in the summer of 2010: “Effects of warming on Specific Leaf Area (SLA) in Alpine
and Subalpine species.”
Public Outreach in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park summer of 2006: Worked with park rangers to develop outreach on the
importance of prescribed burning for fire adapted ecosystems.
Taught English to indigenous children in the Peruvian Amazon in 2005: Volunteered with children from ages 4-8.
Hawskbill Sea Turtle (E. imbricata) educational outreach in the summer of 2003: Educational Outreach with locals and tourists about
the endangered Hawksbill sea surtle nesting habits and life history.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS_____________________________________________________________________________
Society of Wetland Scientists
California and Colorado Native plant societies
Society for Ecological Restoration (international)
REFERENCES______________________________________________________________________________________________
Sharon Collinge
Professor (Primary advisor)
(303) 735-3242
sharon_collinge@colorado.edu
Paula Fornwalt
Research Ecologist
(970) 498-2581
pfornwalt@fs.fed.us
Mike Battaglia
Research Ecologist
(970) 498-1286
mbattaglia@fs.fed.us