Staff

My research is cross-disciplinary with the ultimate goal of scaling plot-based forest health relationships to a landscape-scale using remote sensing and GIS modeling. To date, this work has focused on the detection and mapping of pre-visual forest decline symptoms resulting from invasive species, global climate change and acid deposition/nutrient depletion. These techniques provide a much-needed tool for the early detection of new and existing stressors and will allow forest management agencies to focus management efforts before stands are severely impacted.

Jim Duncan serves as the director of the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative, where he's helping to make long-term monitoring data on Vermont's forested ecosystems more accessible, more interoperable and more useful for seeing and responding to change, as well as building new regional networks for greater collaboration in environmental monitoring. He also supports interdisciplinary teams in UVM's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources with spatiotemporal analysis and integration of social and ecological data. He previously worked to increase transparency in the oil, gas and mining sectors by giving decision makers and citizens tools to map and interact with data, including in Mongolia and Ghana.

Starting as a part-time site coverage operator at FEMC’s air quality site in Underhill in the mid-1990s, Mim became the primary air quality technician in the early 2000s. As needs changed over the years, Mim edited the VMC newsletter, worked on communications and outreach, and currently edits FEMC publications. Along with the rest of the FEMC staff, she organizes the Annual Conference, edits the Annual Monitoring Update and works on our database and website. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening and hanging around with her ancient horse and other critters, and travelling to new places, especially cities.

Judy works with research biologists on a variety of forest health projects, ranging from insect diversity to acid rain monitoring with the goal of facilitating communication between research scientists, politicians and the lay public; and to archive and make forest ecosystem and other ecological information available in an accessible manner to a wider audience. Until recently Judy taught as an adjunct instructor in local colleges, primarily at Johnson State College. Judy splits her time between FEMC and the USDA’s APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program, which is a regulatory arm of the USDA.

Mike focuses on developing digital tools that can be used to manage and visualize data gathered by our cooperators. Graduating from the University of Vermont with a B.S. in computer science and working as a field technician for years, Mike has developed an understanding of data requirements and idiosyncrasies. Outside of work Mike loves biking, climbing, and getting in the backcountry on his splitboard in the winter.

John started his work with FEMC as a summer field intern in 2016 after graduating from the University of Vermont. Following the field season, he transitioned from an intern to the Project and Field Coordinator. When he’s not working on field projects John can be found at our Spear St. office crunching data, working on outreach, and other miscellaneous tasks. Outside of work John enjoys volleyball, photography, fishing on his kayak, and drumming.

Ali Kosiba is a forest ecologist and dendrochronologist (tree rings) who specializes in understanding tree response to environmental change. Using multiple scales, from the individual tree to the landscape and the broader region, she examines the effects of acid deposition and nutrient depletion, disturbances, and climate on the region's forests. At FEMC she will spearhead the annual monitoring updates and for the first time, expand those updates to the Northern Forest region.