Dr. Juliana Medeiros leads research on the complex relationships between plants and their environment, focusing on how plants coordinate their functions and respond to environmental stress. Her lab uses techniques from ecophysiology and evolutionary ecology to understand plant adaptations, and she’s a leading expert on the genus Rhododendron.

Dr. Katie Stuble investigates the fundamental mechanisms that maintain diversity in plant communities and how climate change and invasive species are reshaping those communities. She studies how global change alters interactions between species—from competition to mutualisms—with much of this work happening in Holden’s own forests.

Dr. Samantha Worthy studies why certain plants thrive in one forest type but never make it into an adjacent one—patterns that could help predict where species will shift as climate changes. From tropical forests in Ecuador to temperate forests here at Holden, her research spans ecosystems and continents. She’s particularly excited about collaborating with Holden’s seed bank and using decades of rare plant data to track how restoration efforts affect populations over time. “It’s the unbounded beauty of nature, from forests to fens, that motivates my research into understanding and conserving these ecosystems for the future,” she says.

Dr. Sarah Carrino-Kyker studies the microbial communities living in forest soils and how environmental changes affect the tiny organisms. “I love getting to use DNA sequencing to study soil fungi!” she says. “It gives us a window to see these important organisms below ground, even if we don’t see any mushrooms or sporocarps aboveground.”

Dr. Rachel Kappler protects species in forest ecosystems. Her current research on eastern hemlock, American beech, and ash trees supports future breeding programs that could help these species survive against invasive pests and diseases. “I’ve focused my career on science because of my interest in species protection and love of the outdoors,” she says. “Finding what helps nature thrive motivates me to continue conducting research. It makes me feel great that I’m doing my part to keep more species of trees in the forest near my home.”

Claudia Bashian-Victoroff is a fungal ecologist investigating how mycorrhizal fungi can help trees thrive in Cleveland’s urban environment, where soil compaction and pollution create challenging growing conditions. Beyond their research, they’re passionate about sharing the importance of fungi through teaching and mentorship.

Alorah Filak works in the Burke Lab on eastern hemlock resistance to hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive pest devastating native hemlock populations. Her goal is to advance propagation techniques for resistant trees.

Dylann Nakaji-Conley contributes to research on how plant variation interacts with environmental factors, particularly in the context of photoprotective pigments. With a background in environmental chemistry, they bring an interdisciplinary lens to understanding how plants adapt to new challenges. “I have always had a natural curiosity for the world around me, especially plants, but growing up, being a scientist felt lofty and out of reach,” she says. “As a high school volunteer at the Long Science Center, I saw that research could be a welcoming place for women as leaders and that science was a process of imperfect inquiry rather than pure genius. Curiosity and persistence are the essential qualities of any scientist.”

Rory Schiafo recently joined Holden to work on eastern hemlock conservation, bringing expertise in how invasive species and land-use history shape forest communities.

Miranda Setzer, a PhD candidate in the Medeiros Lab, explores how Rhododendron minus—an evergreen shrub native to the Southeast—tolerates stress from drought and intense sunlight across different habitats. “I’ve been curious and eager to learn for as long as I can remember, always asking questions and observing details since I was a child,” she says. “I love being a scientist because I enjoy using data from experiments to solve problems and make new discoveries.”

Catalina Valderrama investigates how Rhododendron flowers vary in response to pollinators and climate, studying everything from flower shape to the scents they produce. She also coordinates volunteer programs that engage the public in monitoring Rhododendron phenology and pollinators. “I am excited about getting involved with the community and volunteers and being able to share my knowledge and experience,” she says. “Also, the feeling of discovering new things, answering questions, and even having more questions than before is a great experience. I am excited to keep helping the community while discovering all the amazing things about plants and pollinators.”

Jing Wang manages Rhododendron breeding populations and display gardens at Holden’s Leach Research Station. She also assists with experiments, data collection and analysis, and database management of plant collections at the Long Center for Plant & Environmental Science.