The people behind the science
Science is a team sport! We are a group of scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder who are seeking to understand how global change is affecting the structure and function of lakes. We primarily do fieldwork in the southern Rocky Mountains and use publicly available data, remote sensing imagery, and process models to apply our understanding of lake ecology at regional to continental scales.
Faculty lead, Mountain limnology lab
Isabella A. Oleksy, Ph.D.
I'm an ecosystem scientist, biogeochemist, and life-long learner. I use mountain lakes as a natural laboratory to better understand how lakes more broadly "work." I'm passionate about open science and open data! When I'm not doing science, you can find me riding my bike, gardening, playing in the mountains, or seeing live music.
PhD student
Katie Gannon
I am studying how greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane) are produced, stored, and emitted from alpine lakes. I am particularly interested in how these processes are impacted by glacial inputs and changes in winter ice cover. When I am not doing science, you can find me trail running, reading books, and saying hello to every dog I see.
Undergraduate research student
Bryan Gager
I am a senior pursuing a double major in ecology and evolutionary biology and geography. I'm working on an undergraduate honors thesis on the reconstruction of an ice phenology record for The Loch using streamflow data.
Lab manager
Adeline Kelly
I am a limnologist and biogeochemist, with an interest in mountain lakes as well as the impacts of fire on water quality. I have previously worked with ponds and reservoirs in both grassland and prairie systems. Outside of science, I love rock climbing, hiking, paddle boarding, and generally playing outside.
PhD student
Abby Ross
I’m a biogeochemist and microbiologist interested in nutrient cycles and microbial community dynamics in alpine lakes. My previous work centered around the distribution and regulation of harmful algal bloom toxins in lakes. If I’m not in the lab or doing fieldwork, you can probably find me hiking, cooking, or reading!
Undergraduate research student
Julia Pop
I am a senior pursuing a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology.