After graduating with a B.S. in environmental sciences from the University of Vermont, Sam worked three field seasons in California with the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service. This work consisted of monitoring for bark beetles, white pine blister rust, and fire damage to understand the interactions between climatic and biotic variables within high elevation pine forests. Sam has also worked in the Mojave Desert leading botany and soils monitoring crews for the Great Basin Institute and in Puerto Rico on a project dedicated to understanding urban forest ecosystem services and public perception.
Sam joined the Ecohydrology lab in 2019 as a PhD student with an interest in studying the impacts of drought on Northeastern forests. He works with the Thompson Farm precipitation manipulation experiment to examine how mature pine and oak trees adjust their anatomy and physiology in response to drought. The other focal point in his research is assessing the potential for assisted migration in the Northeast. Using a common garden experiment, he compares the growth and physiology of timber species from local genotypes to those from hotter and drier climates under normal and droughted conditions. In his free time Sam can be found rock climbing, surfing, and skiing New Hampshire.
