Johanne (she/her) is a PhD student in the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is also pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Gender, Race, and Identity studies. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Ecology. Post-graduation Johanne worked as a field technician on the North Slope of the Brooks Range and Denali National Park, both in Alaska. Carrying on with her arctic and subarctic interests, she is excited to be continuing research in Denali National Park investigating snow-soil-vegetation interactions through an ecohydrological framework. When not trudging through the snow or shrubs up north, Johanne enjoys mountain biking, bikepacking, and swimming in (arguably too cold) bodies of water. 

Abbie Sandquist (she/her) is a PhD student in the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences. She completed her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Fresno in 2017, and then worked in a Navy Ocean Engineering Group in Port Hueneme, CA before starting at UNR. Her research is focused on studying interactions between water and vegetation. One project focuses on water stored in forest canopies, and how that varies with vegetation structure and storm characteristics. This work is leverages data from NASA (which is also the funding source) and NEON to clarify controls over interception losses. Understanding this better may help improve models and predictions of global water patterns. For another project, she collects field-measured energy balance data from brush sites around the Great Basin to better understand fire effects on evapotranspiration in arid shrublands. 

I did my BSc and MSc in Hydrology from the University of Arizona in 2016 and 2018, respectively. During my master’s I focused on the hydrologic response of three large-scale artificial hillslopes in the Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO) at Biosphere 2. I have been a PhD student in Scott Allen's lab since January 2023. My PhD work focuses on evapotranspiration partitioning across different ecosystems in the US using stable water isotopes. I grew up in Puerto Rico and during my free time, I enjoy taking care of my house plants; serving my sassy Leopard Gecko, Echo; mountain biking; and prepping my car for the next car camping adventure. 

Outside of my research initiatives, I am a writer, yoga teacher, and artist. My art serves as a function to integrate science within art, and vice versa. In my teaching of yoga and meditation, I like to focus on the practice of finding self and truth. And in these practices can I somehow offer those the ability to see that science, art, and our role within both connected. I appreciate my approach to my studies, and I look forward to the opportunities ahead that allow me to ask technical scientific questions and serve the communities within them.

Emily (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Researcher interested in how water moves through landscapes. At UNR, she works on the Tahoe Environmental Observatory Network, a field-based project to study water and nutrients as they cycle through the Lake Tahoe Watershed: from mountainous headwater forests, soils, and streams – eventually into the lake itself. Prior to her time at UNR, Emily completed a postdoctoral research position at Chapman University, where she studied lysimeter waters from forest plots across Switzerland. She carried out her doctoral work at the University of Southern California, studying the age and biogeochemistry of waters spanning the Andes mountains to Amazon floodplain. Her love of all things field and lab work was born at the University of Pittsburgh, while she earned her B.S. in Environmental Geology and her B.A. in Spanish. When she’s not out doing field work in the Lake Tahoe Basin or running samples on the Picarro, she’s probably walking her dogs or staring at her garden, wishing the plants would grow faster. 

I am a PhD student in the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences and a scientist with the USDA Forest Service.  I am working to explore subsurface hydrologic responses to drought and wildfire. I am a New Englander who is enamored by the imposing landscapes of the West, and the processes which produce these landscapes and many of the challenges we have living here. Through my work I hope to contribute to sustainable resource stewardship and overall, more resilient communities. I am not only excited to be in Reno for GPHS, but for the amazing running, backpacking, skiing and art opportunities here, too!

I am from Cedar Crest New Mexico and originally moved to Reno to run cross country at UNR. I am pursuing an accelerated master's degree with the 5 year BS/MS program and will be working with Scott Allen's research group as a supporting member for various projects. My hobbies include trail running, paddleboarding, skiing, hiking, and camping. I also play on the UNR club soccer team.

Maya (she/her) has been working in the Ecohydrology lab as an undergraduate lab technician since 2023. She is helping with several experiments based on interactions among snow, soil, and vegetation and is eager to gain experience and expand her expertise in the field. Maya plans to pursue a master’s degree in biotechnology aiming to contribute to interesting research and biotechnological advancements. In her free time, you can find Maya logging some miles on running trails or experimenting with diverse recipes from around the world. 

Lila Humlick (She/Her) is an undergraduate lab technician pursuing her B.S. in Environmental Science. She is originally from Zephyr Cove, Nevada and loves the Great Basin area. She is a new addition to the Ecohydrology Lab and helps with various geospatial projects as well as lab work. She hopes to develop her own research project within the lab before she graduates in 2026. 

Lila Humlick has been awarded a 2025 Undergraduate Research Fellowship to study river restoration effects on evapotranspiration!