Bio

Alex is a doctoral student at Portland State University, conducting research in the Global Environmental Change (GEC) Lab under Dr. Andrés Holz. Originally from McKinleyville, California, he is a forest ecologist who received his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and biology from Reed College in 2023 and his master’s degree in geography from Portland State University in 2025. Outside of his studies, Alex enjoys the outdoors, movies and spending time with his friends and family.

Alex’s research interests center around identifying the mechanisms of conifer mortality and resilience under drought through remote sensing, ecophysiological techniques (how tree physiology responds to and interacts with the external environment) and dendroecological techniques (how tree growth responds to and interacts with the external environment). In the GEC lab, Alex is working on identifying the drivers of the recent decline in Douglas-fir and true fir (Abies spp.) species in southwest Oregon. Across dry forest systems, Douglas-fir and true fir species have been experiencing decline and dieback from drought and tree encroachment, creating unique challenges for modern forest resilience management. Given that the exact mechanisms behind drought-driven tree decline remain poorly understood, Alex’s project will work to uncover important drivers of decline through remote sensing, dendroecological and ecophysiological techniques. He is also collaborating with partners in the Oregon Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service to translate his findings into actionable forest management strategies that promote drought resilience.

Learn About Alex’s Research Project