Lab Members

JUSTIN M. VALLIERE, PhD

Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension

I am an Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension at UC Davis specializing in ecological restoration and invasive plant management. My research is motivated by a lifelong fascination of plants and a passion for conservation, and my work aims to identify real-world solutions for restoring native ecosystems and advancing land stewardship. I also strive to increase representation and equity in the field. I received a BA in Biology from Green Mountain College in Vermont and a PhD in Plant Ecology from UC Riverside. I completed postdoctoral fellowships at UCLA and the University of Western Australia. Prior to joining  UC Davis, I was an Assistant Professor at CSU Dominguez Hills.

Contact me at: jmvalliere@ucdavis.edu

OLIVIA PARRA

PhD Student

I received my B.A. in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley in 2021, where I was involved in research on nitrogen cycling and stable isotopes in coastal California mixed evergreen forests. From 2021 to 2023, I worked as a restoration technician in the Santa Monica Mountains, partnering with the National Park Service to cultivate native plants, manage nonnative plant infestations, lead data collection efforts, and connect community organizations with various aspects of restoration. During this time, I also worked as a research assistant in the Valliere Lab at CSU Dominguez Hills, contributing to a study on plant-soil feedbacks in the Mojave Desert. Now, as a PhD student, I study how fire interacts with soil legacy effects left by invasive plant species in California plant communities.

MAYRA HERNÁNDEZ

PhD Student

I received my BS in Biology in 2022 from CSU Dominguez Hills, where I also worked as a research technician in the Valliere Lab prior to beginning my PhD at UC Davis. My research interests include investigating methods for reversing the detrimental effects of climate change on native plants and harnessing soil microbial communities for restoration. My previous research has focused on nitrogen deposition, vegetation-type conversion and fire frequency in chaparral communities, and invasive plant species. Guiding underrepresented minorities in ecology, and science in general, is very important to me as I have experienced the struggles and obstacles that come with being part of those groups.

MARCO CASTANEDA MARTINEZ

PhD Student

I graduated from CSUDH in 2023 with a degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology. My research interests include how California native plant communities respond to climate change and using functional traits to aid restoration efforts. In the Valliere lab at CSUDH, I worked on multiple research projects and was the lab expert on taking plant gas exchange measurements. My previous research included studying the genetic basis of aspen demography along climate gradients in Colorado and exploring the drivers that impact tree responses to drought. Before joining the Valliere Lab at UC Davis, I worked as the Operations Coordinator for SEED LA, a working group dedicated to the ex-situ conservation of hyper-local native plant material in Los Angeles.

KEKOA NELSON

PhD Student

I graduated with a B.S. in Ecology and Environmental Biology from CSU Dominguez Hills in 2023. While there, I was a part of Valliere Lab conducting a study exploring if plant functional traits could explain thermal tolerance thresholds of native plant species in an urban nature preserve. In Spring 2024, I became a Junior Specialist in Valliere Lab where I conducted a study exploring if plant functional traits could explain thermal tolerance thresholds of native plant species across California nature preserves. My research interests include impacts of climate change, prescribed fire as a restoration tool, and applications of ecological restoration in terrestrial communities. I received the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship in 2024. 

MAISEY REW

Junior Specialist

I received my B.S. in Environmental Science and Management from UC Davis in 2023. I previously worked on projects studying seed traits of drylands annual species and ecosystem service outcomes of rangeland management strategies. I am currently assisting on a project researching the heat tolerance of California native plants. My interests include restoration ecology and plant species’ responses to climate change induced stressors. 

GEORGIA G. HERNÁNDEZ

Postdoctoral Scholar

As a plant ecophysiologist, I am fascinated by how environmental changes impact plant function and survival, from individual leaves to entire communities. My research integrates physiological and demographic approaches to understand species' tolerance to temperature stress and predict how plant communities will shift over time and space. I earned my BS in Biology from Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica, and my PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut. Currently, I am a Postdoctoral Fellow investigating heat vulnerabilities in Californian trees and shrubs to support plant conservation efforts in a warming climate.

Personal Website: https://georgiahernandez.github.io/