Meet the Research Team

The Lesmeister Lab is composed of full-time researchers, field crew members, and laboratory technicians from a variety of backgrounds all with the common goal of producing quality scientific data and analysis to help
drive sound land management decisions. ​

Damon Lesmeister, PhD

RESEARCH WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST -
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Rita Claremont

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Kirsten Wert, MS
​
COAST RANGE CREW LEAD

Natalie Rugg
​
ECOLOGIST - LAB CREW LEAD -
​MS GRADUATE STUDENT 

Simeon Abidari, MS
​
ECOLOGIST

Julianna Jenkins, PhD

WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST -
LEAD DATA ANALYST 

Chris McCafferty

COAST RANGE CREW LEAD

Aaron Henderson
​​
SPRINGFIELD CREW LEAD -
​MS GRADUATE STUDENT

Julia Kasper, MS
​
ECOLOGIST

Jim Swingle, MS
​
WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST -
​RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Alaina Thomas, MS

ECOLOGIST -
FIELD COORDINATOR

Zack Ruff, MS

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Brandon Henson
​​
COAST RANGE CREW LEAD

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GRADUATE STUDENTS

Matt Weldy, MS
​​
PhD CANDIDATE

Marnet Ngosi
​​ 
Masters Student

Jeremy Rockweit, MS
​​ 
​PhD CANDIDATE

Anna Kohlberg
​​ 
PhD Student

Cara Appel, MS

PhD CANDIDATE

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ORISE RESEARCH FELLOWS

Holly Basile
Journey Basile(SD)
​
Research Fellow

Aleena Habib
​​ 
Research Fellow

Mariam Alsaid
​
Research Fellow

Kellan Parker
​​ 
Research Fellow

Guillermo Alvarez
​​ 
Research Fellow

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Lab Alumni:
​Shane Pruett, PhD, OSU Faculty Research Assistant, 2016-2019
Preston Durham, MS, OSU Masters Student, 2017-2019
Janice Reid, USFS Wildlife Biologist, 1990-2019
Leila Duchac, MS, OSU Masters Student, 2017-2019
Jordan Rodriguez, OSU Research Assistant, 2018-2020
Ashlee Mikkelsen, MS, OSU Masters Student, 2017-2021​
Mark Linnel, MS, Research Assistant, 2015-2022
Stan Sovern, OSU Faculty Research Assistant, 1992-2021
Marie Tosa, PhD, OSU Doctoral Student, 2017-2023
​Cheyenne Stephens, Research Assistant, 2022-2025 
Jacob Crawford, Research Fellow, 2024-2025
Mariam Alsaid, Research Fellow, 2024-2025
Guillermo Alvarez, Research Fellow, 2024-2025