Dusty Perkins, Program Manager
(970) 589-1474, email
Primary Responsibilities: Planning, management, implementation, and coordination of all aspects of the NCPN I&M program. Protocol lead for big rivers, invasive exotic plants, and landbird monitoring.
Education and Experience: PhD, Wildlife Ecology, University of Maine; MS, Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation, University of Massachusetts; BS, Wildlife Ecology, University of Maine.
Before coming to the NCPN in 2007, Dusty served as program manager for the Southern Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network. Prior to joining the National Park Service, Dusty was a Wildlife Biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Naples, Florida.
Rebecca Weissinger, Aquatic Ecologist
(435) 719-2356, email
Primary Responsibilities: Managing and coordinating monitoring of water quality and springs and seeps. Assisting with wadeable streams monitoring.
Education and Experience: MS, Environmental Science and Policy, Northern Arizona University
Rebecca started as a seasonal biological science technician on NCPN amphibian and reptile surveys—and liked it so much she figured she might as well dedicate her career to the I&M program. After graduate school, she worked as a field crew leader for riparian and springs monitoring for the Southern Colorado Plateau Network before returning to NCPN as an ecologist.
Carolyn Livensperger, Vegetation Ecologist
(435) 425-3015, email
Primary Responsibilities: Protocol lead for upland vegetation and wadeable streams monitoring.
Education and Experience: MS, Ecology, Colorado State University
BS, Environmental Science, State University of New York–Plattsburgh
Carolyn has worked a variety of ecology related jobs throughout the western United States. Prior to joining NCPN in 2021, she was the ecologist for Capitol Reef National Park.
David Thoma, Landscape Ecologist
(406) 994-7725, email
Primary Responsibilities: Satellite-based monitoring of land surface phenology and landscape dynamics, and integrating results from multiple monitoring protocols.
Education and Experience: PhD, Watershed Science, University of Minnesota; MS, Soil Science, Montana State University; BS, Agronomy, University of Arkansas.
David uses satellite imagery to describe broad-scale patterns of vegetation response to climate. Before joining NCPN, he helped map the soils of Yellowstone, and worked as a research hydrologist for the Agricultural Research Service in Tucson, Arizona.
Dan Gusset, Data Manager
Primary Responsibilities: Design, development, implementation, and maintenance of the network's data management applications and processes.
Education and Experience: BS and BA in Natural History, Environmental Science, and Mathematics, The Evergreen State College
Prior to coming to NCPN, Dan worked as a biological science technician throughout the West and managed data for Yosemite National Park and the Sonoran Desert Network.
Aneth Wight, Cartographic Technician
(435) 719-2348, email
Primary Responsibilities: Obtaining, creating and managing spatial data for the network; creating maps and performing spatial analyses.
Education and Experience: BS, Geography and Earth Resources, Utah State University.
Aneth specializes in GIS, cartography, and GPS technology. She previously worked as the GIS Specialist for a small town in Colorado before finding her way back to Moab. She worked briefly for the Southeast Utah Group before joining the network.
Alice Wondrak Biel, Writer-Editor
(406) 250-1921, email
Primary Responsibilities: Providing science communications support (writing, editing, graphic design, web design, social media) for the Northern Colorado Plateau Network and Sonoran Desert Network.
Education and Experience: PhD, Geography, University of Colorado; MA, American Studies, University of Wyoming; BPhil, Interdisciplinary Studies, Miami University of Ohio
Alice has been a writer-editor for the National Park Service for almost two decades, first at the Yellowstone Center for Resources and now for the Inventory & Monitoring Division. Prior to that, she worked seasonally as a planning assistant for Yellowstone National Park. She has published numerous articles in professional journals as well as a book, Do (Not) Feed the Bears: The Fitful History of Wildlife and Tourists in Yellowstone (Univ. Press of KS, 2006).
Mary Anne Schrade, Administrative Assistant
(928) 556-7405, email
Primary Responsibilities: Providing administrative support to Northern Colorado Plateau Network and Southern Colorado Plateau Network, including travel, timekeeping, and purchasing.
Education and Experience: BA, Psychology, Northern Arizona University
Luke Gommermann, Biological Science Technician
(435) 719-2354, email
Primary Responsibilities: Managing field crews for monitoring of big rivers, invasive exotic plants, and wadeable streams (crew leader), and collecting data across network parks.
Education and Experience: MS, Soil and Water Science, University of Florida; BS, Geological Sciences, University of Florida
Before permanently joining NCPN in January 2017, Luke worked seasonally with the NPS as a biological science technician with NCPN and as a park ranger of environmental education at Big Cypress National Preserve.
Sarah Karinen, Biological Science Technician
(435) 719-2342, email
Primary Responsibilities: Managing the uplands monitoring crew (crew lead), and collecting vegetation data across network parks.
Education: BS, Environmental Biology/Plant Biology, Michigan State University
Sarah has been counting, measuring, and identifying plants for the network since 2011. Prior to that, she spent a few years working in the West on various projects for universities and the US Forest Service. For the last decade, she has been a field botanist and currently works at her dream job, teaching and leading our amazing field crew.
Kiki Fahey, Biological Science Technician
Primary Responsibilities: Collecting data for monitoring of uplands, big rivers, invasive exotic plants, and wadeable streams across network parks.
Education and Experience: MS, Plant Biology and Conservation, Northwestern University; BS, Environmental Science/Sustainable Food and Farming, University of Massachusetts–Amherst
Kiki previously worked for the National Park Service at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Assateague Island National Seashore. She has also worked for the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Audubon, and the Student Conservation Association.
Brandon Gottung, Biological Science Technician
Primary Responsibilities: Collecting data for the big rivers, wadeable streams, and uplands protocols across NCPN and Chihuahuan Desert Network parks.
Education and Experience: BS; Russian Language and Literature, Microbiology and Botany; University of Wisconsin–Madison. Fulbright Scholar, Republic of Georgia.
Brandon worked seasonally for the Central Alaska Network, Rocky Mountain Network, and NCPN until permanently joining NCPN in his current position, split with the Chihuahuan Desert Network.
Amy Washuta, Biological Science Technician
(435) 719-2353, email
Primary Responsibilities: Collecting data and assisting crew leaders for monitoring of uplands, big rivers, invasive exotic plants, and wadeable streams across network parks.
Education and Experience: MS, Interdisciplinary Ecology, University of Florida; BS, Geological Sciences, University of Florida
Amy has a hybrid background of science and education. She has taught high school biology and worked for the National Park Service as a park ranger in environmental education.
Carolyn Hackbarth, Hydrologic Technician
(435) 719-2344, email
Primary Responsibilities: Collecting and summarizing hydrologic data associated with water quality and wadeable streams monitoring.
Education and Experience: BS, Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado
Before joining the NCPN team in 2012, Carolyn worked as a biological science technician for the aquatic resources program at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Last updated: November 7, 2022