Bryce Sutter | Lab Manager
Bryce became the lab manager of the Sala Lab in 2022; however, she first joined the lab as an undergrad in 2020 and completed her Master’s in Biology in 2022 under the guidance of Dr. Sala. Having been born and raised in Phoenix, she is interested in desert and dryland ecology, with a special fondness for plants. Her master’s thesis revolved around Bouteloua eriopoda (aka “black grama”), a grass species that historically dominated the Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland. She studied how long-term reductions or increases in precipitation affect the grass’ structural components. As a lab manager, Bryce is continuing to gather data on this, and she is also eager to get involved in other Sala Lab projects.
Nicholas Glass | Postdoctoral Research Associate
Nicholas graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL in 2013 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. He spent the next 4 years working in environmental education and historical conservation (and food & beverage) and produced a few independent research studies, including a qualitative assessment of cigarette butt impacts on soil and plant growth. In 2022, Nicholas obtained his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His doctoral research focused on land-use legacy effects on tallgrass prairie restorations, and belowground resource availability effects on root systems. In the Sala Lab, Nicholas will be evaluating grazing and drought interactive effects on grasses in the Chihuahuan Desert as part of the National Science Foundation’s long-term research at the Jornada Basin.
Em Gonzalez | Project Coordinator
Emilie Gonzalez is the Project Coordinator with the Global Drylands Center, supporting Dr. Osavaldo Sala; a partnership center between the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, the School of Earth and Space Exploration, and the School of Life Sciences. Previous to working for GDC, Em has worked for the Biodesign Institute, ASU Health Services & ASU Counseling.