National Coordinating Office Staff

The goal of the National Coordinating Office (NCO) is to guide the development of the USA National Phenology Network, faciliate communication between scientists, land managers, policy-makers, and the public who are interested in assessing the effects of global change on natural ecological systems.

The NCO was established through a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Arizona (UA). The USGS provides base-stable support for the NCO, and hired Dr. Jake Weltzin as the first Executive Director of USA-NPN. The UA is providing offices and other services through the School of Natural Resources and the Environment's Office of Arid Lands Studies.

Jake Weltzin
Executive Director
USA National Phenology Network
National Coordinating Office
1955 E. Sixth St., Tucson, AZ 85721
jweltzin@usgs.gov
(520) 626-3821
Fax: (520) 792-0571
Full CV - Résumé

Jake Weltzin assumed his position as Executive Director of the USA-NPN in August 2007. Jake’s interest in natural history developed as he grew up in Alaska and served as an exchange student in the Australian outback. He obtained his B.S. from Colorado State University, M.S. from Texas A&M University, and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Notre Dame, Jake went to the University of Tennessee, where he served as Assistant and then Associate Professor.

Jake is interested in how the structure and function of plant communities and ecosystems might respond to global environmental change, including atmospheric chemistry, climate change, and biological invasions. His research spans temperate and tropical grasslands and savannas, temperate woodlands, deciduous forest, and sub-boreal peatlands. His recent experience as a science administrator at the National Science Foundation underscored the need to foster large-scale science initiatives such as the USA-NPN. As its first Executive Director, Jake’s vision for USA-NPN is “to develop a continental-scale instrument for integrative assessment of global change that simultaneously serves as an outreach and educational platform for citizens and educators.”

Theresa Crimmins
Partnerships & Outreach Coordinator
theresam@u.arizona.edu
(520) 792-0481

Theresa Crimmins coordinates the efforts of USA-NPN partners to achieve common phenology-related goals. USA-NPN partners include individuals and organizations representing communities of researchers, land managers, policy-makers, citizen scientists, and educators. Through our partnerships we seek to encourage and maintain the participatory spirit of the USA-NPN and the involvement of diverse user groups.

Theresa obtained a B.S. in biology and an M.A. in geography from Western Michigan University and a Ph.D. in natural resources from the University of Arizona. Her research interests encompass plant response to global change, spatial analysis, and engaging citizen scientists of all ages in scientific discovery.

Ellen Denny
Regional Networks Coordinator
ellen.denny@yale.edu

Ellen Denny coordinates the development of regional phenology networks (RPNs) across the nation. RPNs are envisioned to support the USA-NPN by facilitating a more intimate level of communication and collaboration among scientists, resource managers, educators and citizens interested in phenological issues specific to their region.

Ellen has a B.S. in aquatic biology from Brown University, and an M.F.S. (forest science) from Yale’s School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, and has spent the last decade working at the interface of ecosystem science and information management. Her interaction with the USA-NPN began as the co-founder and coordinator of the Northeast Regional Phenology Network (NE-RPN), established in 2007. Since then she has served the USA-NPN in various capacities, including helping to design the USA-NPN’s general ground observation monitoring system.

Lee Marsh
Applications Programmer
npnlee85@gmail.com

Lee Marsh develops, enhances and maintains the USA-NPN's PHP and Java web applications, as part of the USA-NPN's IT team. He also plays a key role in data output and integration efforts.

Lee graduated from the University of Illinois, Springfield campus, with a B.S. in computer science, and has spent the last several years working for the private industry, including a regional startup and a Fortune 500 consulting firm. His interests include artificial intelligence and computer gaming systems.

Jeff Morisette
Invasive Species Science
U.S. Geological Survey
Fort Collins Science Center
2150 Centre Ave., Bldg C
Fort Collins, CO, USA
morisettej@usgs.gov
970-226-9144

Jeff Morisette is working with USA NPN to 1) coordinate RSP/LSP activities across U.S. federal agencies, other national programs, and academic scientists, and 2) lead research on the utility and accuracy of RSP/LSP products.

In August of 200,8 Jeff transferred to the USGS Fort Collins Science Center where he serves as head of the Invasive Species Science Branch. That work is utilizing remote sensing phenology data as input layers to species distribution modeling. He was at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for ten years previously. In FY’07 he served a year-long detail at NASA Headquarters working in the Applied Science Program. Jeff received a B.A. from Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan, an M.S. in statistics from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and a PhD. from North Carolina State University. He also attended the International Space University's Summer Program, Vienna, in 1996. In 2006 he won NOAA’s National “David Johnson Award for Outstanding Innovative Use of Earth Observation Satellite Data”.

Alyssa Rosemartin
Acting Assistant Director
IT & Communications Coordinator
alyssarosemartin@gmail.com
(520) 419-2585

Alyssa Rosemartin serves as a point person for the development and maintenance of the USA-NPN information management system, including the national phenology database, user interface and website. She also brings her experience translating science for the general public to the table in support of the NPN's outreach goals.

Alyssa received a B.A. in Spanish and environmental science in 2000 from Smith College and an M.S. in wildlife conservation and management from the University of Arizona School of Natural Resources in 2008. Alyssa has experience in environmental education, science writing, field research, web development, and project management. She has been interested in citizen science since her first job, working on Birds Beyond Borders, a program linking elementary schools across the Americas through the observation of migratory birds.

Kathryn Thomas
Project Manager
kathryn_a_thomas@usgs.gov
(520) 670-5534

Kathryn Thomas is an ecologist and a geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey. She provides plant and landscape expertise to the development and national implementation of the National Phenology Monitoring System. She has described vegetation characteristics and distributions throughout the Southwest and is currently using predictive modeling to examine potential changes in vegetation under different scenarios of climate change.

Kathryn has over 25 years of experience working on environmental projects. She has conducted field research in the coastal Mediterranean, desert Mojave, semi-arid Colorado Plateau, and boreal northeastern forest ecosystems. She has a Ph.D. in geography from University of California, Santa Barbara, and an M.S. in environmental horticulture from University of California, Davis.

Jessica Zelt
Program Coordinator
North American Bird Phenology Program
Ph: 301-497-5745
Fax: 301-497-5694
www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bpp/

Jessica Zelt coordinates the North American Bird Phenology Program (BPP) based at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. The BPP, with the help of volunteers worldwide, is digitally reviving a collection of 6 million bird migration cards from around North America, originally collected between 1880 and 1970. Jessica organizes all aspects of the program from volunteer coordination to management of the website and database and outreach.

Jessica obtained a B.S. in environmental science and policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has previously worked as a naturalist for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and as a research assistant for the Smithsonian’s Migratory Bird Center.

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