Part of a series of articles titled Women of the National Park Service.
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In the Field with the Women of the National Park Service
Often, when people think of the National Park Service, they think about the folks in uniform working directly with the public. But if you look beyond the areas the public usually visits, you will find lots of NPS staff. Here you can learn about some of the women who are working out in the field as biologists, archaeologists, historic preservationists, geologists, fire scientists, and others.
Biological Science Technician
Denise Amador
Denise monitors vegetation at John Muir National Historic Site. Part of her job is to remove invasive plants so native plants can thrive.
Coastal Ecologist
Jessica Cressman
Jessica researches the plants and animals of salt marshes. She looks at the effects of climate change and storms as part of her work.
Night Skies Research Scientist
Li-Wei Hung
Li-Wei is part of an NPS team that studies the night sky. Part of that study uses special photographic equipment.
Engineer
Kelly Kachurak
Even though she works in an NPS Regional Office as a Project Manager, sometimes Kelly needs to go out in the field to inspect work.
Fire Scientist
Sherry Leis
Sherry studies the role of fire on the ecology of grasslands and prairie. She also works to manage these areas using prescribed burns.
Hydrologic Technician
Angela Pincetich
Angela's work as a hydrologic technician is part of a long-term water quality monitoring program for National Parks in the Bay Area.
Wildlife Veterinarian
Jenny Powers
Part of wildlife veterinarian Jenny Powers' job is to find out why sometimes large numbers of wild animals in parks are sick or dying.
Entomologist
Jessica Rykken
Jessica collects and studies bugs at Denali. Here you can learn about her career and how she prepares bees for permanent collection.
More Women of the NPS who Work In the Field
Last updated: March 17, 2026