Directory of Tropical HTIRC

Douglass F. Jacobs

Director, Tropical Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center (Tropical HTIRC)

Douglass F. Jacobs is the Fred M. van Eck Professor of Forest Biology in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University and Affiliate Graduate Faculty in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He studies the ecology and physiology of forest regeneration. He began working in Hawai‘i in 2003, co-instructing a course on forestry nursery systems to Pacific Island managers, which led to the publication of the Tropical Nursery Manual (USDA Forest Service Agriculture Handbook 732). He was based in Hilo during 2016, where he was a Visiting Professor at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and the USDA Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. As Director of Tropical HTIRC, he leads an integrated research and extension program to promote the restoration of native Hawaiian forest tree species.

Tropical HTIRC Advisory / Steering Committee:

The role of the committee is to provide guidance on the strategic directions of the center, prioritization of research themes, and staffing. The committee is comprised of members representing diverse groups associated with ecology and management of Hawaii's forests. Many of the committee members are active collaborators on Tropical HTIRC research and extension projects.

Name

Title, Institution

Steve Bergfeld

Hawai‘i Island Branch Manager, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Phil Cannon

Forest Pathologist, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region

Nicholas Comerford

Dean College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai‘i

Michael Constantinides

State Forester, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pacific Islands Area

Susan Cordell

Director, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station

Nicklos Dudley

Forester and Maunawili Experiment Station Manager, Hawai‘i Agriculture Research Center

J.B. Friday

Extension Forester, University of Hawai‘i

Christian Giardina

Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station

Matt Ginzel

Professor and HTIRC Director, Entomology and Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University

Diane Haase

Western Nursery Specialist, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region

Robert Hauff

Protection Manager, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Travis Idol

Associate Professor of Tropical Forestry and Agroforestry, University of Hawai‘i

Nicholas Koch

Research and Specialty Consulting, Forest Solutions, Inc.

Creighton M. Litton

Professor of Ecosystem Ecologist, University of Hawai‘i

Robert K. Masuda

First Deputy Director, DLNR

Irene Sprecher

Forest Program Manager, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Robert Wagner

Department Head, Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University

Tropical HTIRC Graduate Students, Staff, and Affiliate Scientists

Achyut Adhikari

Achyut is a MS student at the University of Hawai‘i, studying biology of koa reproduction and vegetative propagation, to help overcome koa wilt.

Owen Burney

Owen is an Associate Professor at New Mexico State University. He is leading projects related to thinning of juvenile stands of koa and collaborating on other initiatives.

Aziz Ebrahimi

Aziz is a post-doctoral scientist at Purdue University, studying genes related to cold tolerance in koa.

Shaneka Lawson

Shaneka is a Research Plant Physiologist with the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, studying genetic variation among koa populations and genes regulating the formation of figured wood.

Rebekah Ohara

Rebekah is a Ph.D. student at Purdue University, studying pathways and opportunities for the development of community-managed forests in Hawai‘i.

Bee Overbey

Bee is a Ph.D. student at Purdue University, studying the role birds play in forest restoration, the way forest restoration impacts native bird populations and how to maximize the effectiveness of both through management strategies.

Indira Paudel

Indira is a post-doctoral scientist at Purdue University, studying adaptiveness of koa populations to resource availability.

Kyle Rose

Kyle is a research scientist with Tropical HTIRC (summer) and Assistant Professor at New Mexico Highlands University. He is leading projects related to alternative silvicultural systems for koa and clonal propagation.

Kylle Roy

Kylle will begin her Ph.D. work in the fall of 2020. She is interested in the chemical ecology of beetles and ʻōhiʻa trees in association with Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death.

Tawn Speetjens

Tawn will start his MS in the fall of 202 at Purdue University. Tawn has a passion for growing Hawaii’s native plants and is interested in the development of propagation techniques for Hawaiian sandalwood species (`Iliahi).

Emily Thyroff

Emily is a Ph.D. student at the University of Hawai‘i, studying ecology and physiology of forest regeneration.

Adel Youkhana

Adel is a post-doctoral scientist at the University of Hawai‘i, studying clonal propagation of koa.

Tropical HTIRC Graduate Student Alumni and Past Staff

Lilian Ayala

Lilian was an MS student at Purdue University, studying genetic variation in cold tolerance, survival, and growth of high-elevation koa.

Gaoussou Diarra

Gaoussou completed his Ph.D. at the University of Hawai‘i in 2015, studying seedling nutrition.

Erin Hickey

Erin completed her M.S. at the University of Hawai‘i in 2016, studying vegetative propagation.

Faith Inman

Faith was Tropical HTIRC project coordinator and Research / Extension Faculty with University of Hawai‘i from 2013-2016.

Bradley Kaufmann

Bradley completed his M.S. at the University of Hawai‘i in 2016, studying nursery systems. He was then Tropical HTIRC project coordinator and propagation specialist until 2018.

Oriana Krauss

Oriana completed her M.S. at Purdue University of Hawai‘i in 2014, studying tree improvement. She was a Tropical HTIRC research associate and University of Hawai‘i Junior Extension Agent until 2016.

Bob Masuda

Bob was a Tropical HTIRC senior advisor from 2010-2017.

Charles Michler

Charles was a USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station Project Leader and the first Tropical HTIRC director.

Juan Oliet

Juan was a visiting professor with Tropical HTIRC during 2014-2015, studying ecophysiology of forest restoration. He is a Professor at the Technological University of Madrid, Spain.

Kyle Rose

Kyle completed his Ph.D. at Purdue University in 2017, studying the adaptive role of heteroblasty in koa.

Anna Sugiyama

Anna was a post-doctoral scientist at Purdue University, studying use of intraspecific variation to predict seedling performance in koa.