Meet the Staff

Allen Calvert, Network Program Manager

Primary Network Responsibilities: Oversees all network projects and programs
Active Projects: Pilot Bat Monitoring Plan
Education and Areas of Expertise: MS, Environmental Policy and Management (emphasis in natural resource management), University of Denver; BS, Biological Sciences (emphasis in ecology and evolution), University of Nevada - Las Vegas.

I began working as the Program Manager for the Mojave Desert Network in 2016. I have the opportunity to be involved with all facets of the network, overseeing our great team and interesting projects. Since 2018, I have been actively coordinating with the network parks to develop and now implement a network bat monitoring plan. Prior to moving to the National Park Service, I was a biologist with the Bureau of Reclamation, overseeing conservation efforts for bats, small mammals, and amphibians along the lower Colorado River. While I was born in Wisconsin, I have spent the majority of my life living in southern Nevada. I spend most of my time with my wife and four children. I also enjoy watching and occasionally playing hockey, snowboarding, biking and hiking.

Jeff Galvin, Vegetation Ecologist

Primary Network Responsibilities: Lead for all vegetation protocols.
Active Projects: Integrated Upland Vegetation, Aspen, White Pine, and Spring Vegetation
Education and Areas of Expertise: BA, Biology (emphasis in plant ecology), Drew University.

I began working as the Vegetation Ecologist for the Mojave Desert Network (MOJN) in the summer of 2021. Prior to MOJN, I worked with the Sonoran Desert Network for nearly a decade as lead on many of their vegetation mapping projects, as well as serving as a field crew lead for all the vegetation related protocols. Before working with the National Park Service, I served as the Botany Program Lead for the Western Riverside Country Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan. In that position, I was the lead on all vegetation protocols, primarily focused on surveying for, and monitoring, 63 federal and state listed plants species. Although I grew up in coastal Massachusetts, I’ve come to love the desert southwest. I’ve spent close to two decades working in vegetation communities throughout the Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin Deserts. In my free time I enjoy rock climbing, botanizing, cooking, canyoneering, road biking, and kayaking.

Sarah Wright, Data Scientist *

Primary Network Responsibilities: Data exploration, analysis, and visualization through development of R packages, R Shiny apps, and R Markdown automated reports
Active Projects: Developing R packages for accessing and analyzing long-term monitoring data, leading a data science community of practice
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS, Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I first joined the Mojave Desert Network as an intern in 2014, then served as Assistant Data Manager from 2016–2020. As Data Scientist, my time is split between Mojave Desert Network and the rest of the Inventory and Monitoring networks in the Pacific West Region. My focus is on reproducible data analysis, visualization, and reporting in R. Although I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, I have fallen in love with the Mojave Desert. When I’m not at work, I’m hiking, rock climbing, learning to mountain bike (emphasis on learning), or brewing a batch of homebrew hard cider.

* Sarah continues to collaborate with and assist the Inventory and Monitoring Central Support Office and co-leads the Data Science Community of Practice.

Jennifer Bailard, Physical Scientist

Primary Network Responsibilities: Develop, coordinate, and implement data collection, QA/QC, analysis, and reporting for water resources in the Mojave Desert Network; Project Lead for the hydrology protocols
Active Projects: Selected Large Springs, Desert Springs, Streams and Lakes
Education and Areas of Expertise: BA, Science of Earth Systems (Biogeochemistry), Cornell University.

I joined the Mojave Desert Network in 2013 as an intern with the Student Conservation Association. I have also worked as an interpretive park ranger at Death Valley National Park, where I developed an interest in sharing environmental science with the public. My hobbies include amateur botany, astronomy, and birding. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, I have fallen in love with the wide open spaces, spectacular wildflower blooms, and colorful geology of the Mojave Desert. One day, I would like to visit all of the major deserts in the world!

Athena Lynch, Physical Science Technician

Primary Network Responsibilities: Assisting in water resource protocols implementation
Active Projects: Desert Springs, Selected Large Springs, Streams and Lakes
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS in Environmental Science and Conservation Biology, UCLA

I began my journey in conservation fieldwork in coastal California before moving to the Mojave desert in early 2024. After a season as a vegetation crew intern with MOJN in the spring of 2024, I knew I wanted to extend my stay here. I then spent a season with the USGS doing Mojave desert tortoise and vegetation work, and now have returned to MOJN as a hydrologic technician. I look forward to getting acquainted with the desert springs throughout the Mojave. When I’m not working, I love to hike, look for plants and wildlife, craft, and play sports.

Max Driscoll, Physical Science Technician

Primary Network Responsibilities: Springs monitoring technician
Active Projects: Selected Large Springs, Desert Springs
Education and Areas of Expertise: BS in Environmental Science, minor in Geography, San Francisco State University

I began working in the Mojave Desert region in 2024 with the Great Basin Institute as a member of the Nevada Conservation Corps. I have since worked as a hydrologic technician for the Forest Service in eastern Oregon and as a plant and soil monitoring technician for the Great Basin Institute in California's desert region. I grew up in the Sierra Valley of Northern California and have come to love exploring the unique landscapes of the southwest United States. I am excited to see new places while assisting with desert springs monitoring at MOJN. In my free time, my favorite activities are skateboarding, snowboarding, biking, photography, hiking, and travelling.

Lise Grace, Biological Science Technician

Primary Network Responsibilities: Publications, website, and science communication (shared with retired science communicator Linda Mutch)
Active Projects: Biannual MOJN newsletters; MOJN website; working with MOJN park web managers to add I&M content on their sites
Education and Areas of Expertise: MS, Environmental Science with emphasis in landscape ecology, Western Washington University; BA, Studio Art, Colorado College

I have worked with the Mojave Desert Network since 2012, remotely and in a part-time capacity. I have provided a range of support including GIS; report editing, formatting, and publication in the NPS Natural Resource Publication Series; website updates; and science communication. My NPS career started in 2002 at North Cascades National Park; in 2005, I joined my primary Inventory and Monitoring network, the North Coast and Cascades Network. My appreciation of the natural world was instilled by a family of outdoors lovers at a young age. I love experiencing the Mojave and Great Basin deserts—virtually—in my work with the Mojave Desert Network's enthusiastic staff! When not at work, I enjoy bicycling, backcountry skiing, birding, visiting our national parks, and hiking with my Texas rescue dog.