Embedded Files
Interested in Joining the lab?
Interested in Joining the lab?
Prospective Students: Dr. Byrne will likely be accepting one graduate student to begin in summer 2026. Please read over this website to learn more about research in the lab, and if you think you'd be a good fit, send her an email with: CV or resume, research interests, and a writing sample.
Kerry Byrne (PI)
Kerry is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Science and Management Department at Cal Poly Humboldt. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at Oregon Institute of Technology. She earned her Ph.D. at Colorado State University in Ecology and her B.S. at UC Davis in Environmental Biology and Management. When she isn't teaching and helping students with research projects, she enjoys being outdoors with her family. Two recent adventures were cycling a portion of the Danube River trail in 2025, and backpacking the Walker's Haute Route in France and Switzerland in 2016.
Graduate Students
Graduate Students
Jesse Laine (MS student)
Jesse joined the lab in July 2024. He graduated with a B.S in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UC Santa Cruz, and was previously working as an Entomology Technician for the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. His grad work is looking at long-term success of restored coastal grasslands and insect biodiversity. When not looking for bugs he likes to play guitar, make films, brew beer, and use every dish in the kitchen while cooking.
Lee Minicuci (MS student)
Lee joined the lab in June 2024. He is interested in community ecology and restoration ecology. His past experience includes fuel characterization and fire ecology in the New Jersey Pine Barrens as well as the monitoring and research of rare plants and plant communities in New Jersey. His graduate research involves examining the response of grassland plant species to lethal drought conditions and utilizing that knowledge to better inform and equip land managers and grassland restoration practitioners. In his spare time Lee enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and photographing birds and plants.
Angela Soto (MS student)
Angela joined the lab in June 2025. She is interested in native plant conservation, restoration, and geospatial science. Her past experiences include restoration in the tallgrass prairies of Minnesota, plant ecology research in central Florida, and native plant monitoring and seed collection in the Willamette Valley. Her research will involve monitoring populations of the endangered Applegate’s Milkvetch (Astragalus applegatei) in Oregon and understanding the treatments and soil conditions that contribute to a healthy population, which can inform future conservation efforts. In her free time, Angela enjoys nature photography, baking, volunteering, and birdwatching.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate Students
Taylor Culp - ESM student, Mark B. Rhea research scholar, ecosystem services across a restoration chronosequence in California coastal prairie. Taylor is working with Jesse on both field and lab work (March 2025 - present)
Cadence Duckett - Biochemistry student, research assistant, herbicide impacts on a rangeland soil seed bank (June 2025 - present)
Garrett Leonard - ESM student, research assistant, herbicide impacts on a rangeland soil seed bank (Nov 2025 - present)
Propagules
Propagules
Graduate Students
Francisco Chavez, M.S. '24
Francisco successfully defended his thesis "Drought's lingering shadow: monitoring the recovery of Sagebrush Steppe plant communities after four years of experimental drought" in fall 2024. He is currently on the job market!
Jules Bartley, M.S. '23
Jules successfully defended their thesis "Physical characteristics and fine roots within duff mounds of old-growth sugar and Jeffrey pine in a fire-excluded Sierran mixed-conifer forest" in summer 2023 and currently works for the Forest Service FIA Program in Washington.
Sean Stewart, M.S. '23
Sean successfully defended his thesis "Insights into the conservation of the rare perennial herb, Astragalus applegatei" in spring 2023. His research was published in Restoration Ecology in 2025. He currently works for Applied River Science in Arcata, CA as a Riparian Revegetation Design and Implementation Technician.
Allison Nunes, M.S. '21
Allison successfully defended her thesis "Seed bank composition within two sagebrush steppe communities: a comparison of drought and microsite effects" in summer 2021. Her research was published in Journal of Arid Environments in 2022. She currently works as an Ecologist at HT Harvey and Associates.
Undergraduates
2025 - 2026: Jenna Camenson (ESM) & Sebastian Castillo (ESM)
2024 - 2025: Sol Fernandez (ESM), Blaine Folrath (ESM Mark B Rhea Scholar), Kenia Gomez (RRS), & Dino Santia (RRS)
2023 - 2024: Owen Bardsley (ESM), Elena Bewick (ESM), Brandon Clarkson (ESM Mark B Rhea Scholar), Skylar Johnson (Botany)
2022 - 2023: Owen Bardsley (ESM), Scott Estepa (ESM), Dellaina Morse (ESM), AJ Murphy (ESM Mark B Rhea Scholar), & Kloe Walter (ESM)
2021 - 2022: Jade Dodley (ESM), Shannon Rocha (ESM), Kayla Thompson (ESM), Theron Taylor (ESM), & Cristina Winters (Forestry)
2020 - 2021: Sam Kelly (ESM) & Cessair McKinney (ESM)
2019 - 2020: Erik Ramos (ESM), Ethan Reibsome (ESM), Beth Rouse (ESM), & Sean Stewart (ESM)
2018 - 2019: Corina Godoy (ESM) & Jonathan Vellanoweth (ESM)
2017 - 2018: Stephanie Bowler (ESM) & Roxana Mostafavi (ESM)
OIT students (2014 - 2017): Nathan Connell, Chloe Dean (Smith), Taylor Mays, Aaron Miller, Rizka Ongge, Morgaine Riggins, & Allison Young
Page updated
Report abuse