The NC CASC is proud to welcome a new research assistant, Brecken Robb. She will serve as a resource for the National Park Service's Climate Change Response Program in the development of climate-resource scenarios.

A bit more about Brecken: Brecken is originally from Idaho and, like any good Idahoan native, loves camping, fishing, and potatoes. She recently received an M.S. in Biological Sciences at Boise State University, where she studied the use of near infrared spectroscopy to classify and quantify phenotypes and chemical traits of the threatened native shrub and sagebrush, to better protect and manage its multifarious (and diminishing) benefits in a changing landscape. She is also a returned Peace Corps volunteer from Ghana, West Africa, where she taught math, science, information technology, and literacy at a rural middle school and led community and youth programs in life skills, education, health, and agriculture. Brecken has a broader background in chemical and physiological ecology, stem cell therapy development, and vision therapy vis-à-vis developmental optometry. She spends much of her downtime drawing, playing the piano, reading, hiking, traveling, and relaxing with friends and family. She looks forward to meeting everyone!