What we do
The Communities, Forests, and Fire Research Group works together to explore how communities experience wildfire and forest management in the U.S. West and beyond. We focus on applying social science research methods to produce robust research and management and policy recommendations.
Research Group Members
Graduate Researchers
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Cole Brant, M.S. Student, Northern Arizona University
I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Forestry and a certificate in Fire Ecology and Management in 2022. After graduating, I spent a season on a fire crew in Northern California before returning to Flagstaff. When back in Flagstaff, I spent a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA before moving into my current position working with the Southwest Fire Science Consortium and Arizona Wildfire Initiative on the Fire Ecology Learning Lab. I am excited to be a student again at NAU in my first year as a graduate student working towards a Master of Science in Forestry. In my free time, you can catch me cooking, mountain biking, or hiking with my dog, Jasper. Cole's research is funded by the USDA Forest Service. |
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Amanda Busco, M.S. Student, Northern Arizona University
I received my bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from San José State University in 2023 with a focus in restoration. Upon graduating, I worked as a research assistant for SJSU in collaboration with the IBHS (Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety), to determine the challenges and barriers that homeowners face in adopting home hardening actions to become qualified for their wildfire certification programs. After being exposed to these challenges within wildfire research, this led to my interest in furthering my education to expand and build an expertise on forestry, wildfire, and human involvement. I am starting my first year as a graduate student at Northern Arizona University and am working to obtain a Master of Science in Forestry with a concentration in wildfire social science. Amanda's research is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Joint Fire Science Program. |
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Cara Caruolo, Ph.D. Candidate, Northern Arizona University
I received my bachelors degree in anthropology and sociology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2017 with a concentration in criminology. In October of 2018, I moved to Chico, CA and was working in Paradise, where the Camp Fire started on November 8, 2018. Shortly after the fire I moved to Colorado and began a graduate degree at the University of North Texas. In August of 2022 I graduated with an MS in Applied Anthropology. My research was done with a local fire district in Colorado Springs, CO looking a wildfire mitigation and risk perceptions in two WUI neighborhoods. In August of 2022, I began my Ph.D. in Forest Science at NAU. My research is centered around creating a database for wildfire-affected communities in the Western US to view grants available to them during the recovery process. Cara's research is funded by the Arizona Board of Regents' Technology and Research Initiative Fund and the Joint Fire Science Program. |
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Shannon Courtney, Ph.D. Student, Utah State University
I hold undergraduate degrees in Spanish and Marketing from Trinity University and recently completed a Master of Natural Resources in Fire Ecology and Management at the University of Idaho. My professional background includes nonprofit community outreach and six years of experience as a wildland firefighter. During my fire career, I split time between the Western and Southeastern U.S. and worked at both the federal and municipal government levels on a variety of resource types. I find wildfire social science to be the perfect combination of my academic interests and field experience. At Utah State, I am excited to take a deeper look at community-fire interactions through research focused on communications, operations, and public policy. Shannon's research is funded by the USDA National Needs Fellowship grant program. |
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Maximo Aguilar Lawlor, M.S. Student, Utah State University
Throughout my undergraduate career, I have completed one B.S. in journalism from Emerson College (2022), and one B.S. in meteorology (professional concentration) from Metropolitan State University of Denver (2025). In January of 2026, I started a M.S. in Environment and Society at Utah State University working on post-fire flooding research across Utah and other parts of the western United States. The goal of this research is to learn how communities have been impacted by post-fire flooding and how public policy helped or hindered their recovery. Along with this, another goal is to create framework for policy planning in communities with high risk of post-fire flooding events. Prior to coming to Utah State, I worked as a tennis instructor and was part of the men’s tennis program at both Emerson College and MSU Denver. Maximo’s research is funded by the Joint Fire Science Program and the United States Geological Survey. |
Alumni
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Wills DeGrandpre, M.F. student, 2023-2025
Then: Wills conducted focus groups with Flagstaff residents and professionals about preventing human-caused wildfire ignitions on adjacent public lands as part of a broader Joint Fire Science Program grant. He was a 2024 JFSP Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) award recipient. Now: Firefighter, Kaibab National Forest, AZ Grace Harris, Undergraduate Researcher, 2024
Then: Grace supported survey administration and data entry for several smoke-focused projects. Now: Masters student at Northern Arizona University Dr. Jack Burnett, Ph.D. Student, 2020-2024
Then: Jack conducted several interconnected studies exploring conceptualizations of collective action to reduce wildfire risk across different scales. He was recognized as both the NAU outstanding Graduate Researcher and School of Forestry Outstanding Graduate Student in 2024. Now: Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University Sarah Devenport, M.S. Student, 2022-2024
Then: Sarah led multiple studies related to human-caused wildfire ignitions in the Southwest to better understand how place-based interventions can support risk reduction. Now: Human Dimensions Specialist at the Ecological Restoration Institute. Scott Franz, M.S. Student, 2021-2023
Then: Scott conducted a policy analysis and semi-structured interviews related to fires managed for objectives other than full suppression. Scott was a 2023 JFSP Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) award recipient and NAU's 2023 Outstanding Masters-level Graduate Research Assistant. Now: Human Dimensions Specialist on the ReShape project for the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes. Margaret Sichrovsky, Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2020-21
Then: Supported data entry and literature reviews related to wildfire and prescribed fire smoke. Now: Public Affairs Specialist for the US Forest Service on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, ID. Astrid Alder, Interns2Scholars researcher, 2020 - 2021
Then: Astrid reviewed open-ended survey comments to identify themes across residents concerned about fire in Arizona. Now: MSc student at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. |
Helena Moomjian, Interns2Scholars program, 2023-2024
Then: Helena worked as a research assistant who collected data to support an updated annual trail use count for the Red Rock District of the Coconino National Forest. Read about Helena's I2S research here. Zoë Zamudio, Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2022-2024
Then: Zoë supported numerous data collection efforts related to human-caused ignitions, including surveying recreationists across three national forests. Now: Staff , Arizona Wildfire Initiative. Hayden Jorde, M.F. Student, 2021-2023
Then: Hayden produced an updated annual trail use count for the Red Rock District of the Coconino National Forest, supported by the Sedona Red Rock Trail Foundation. Now: Weedwise program coordinator, Clackamas County Conservation District, OR. Noah Haarmann, M.S. Student, 2021-2023
Then: Noah conducted a needs assessment for the Southwest Fire Science Consortium. He was a 2022 JFSP Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) award recipient and a 2023 Presidential Management Fellow. Now: Smokejumper for the US Forest Service based out of Missoula, MT. Megan King, Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2020.
Then: Megan conducted background research into the logging history of northern Arizona. Now: Forestry Technician with Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management Max Benning, Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2020
Then: Max supported interview research related to post-fire flood risk in the Flagstaff area. Now: Forestry Community Engagement Coordinator for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management McKenna Hedgepeth, M.S. Forestry, 2019 - 2020
Then: McKenna modeled the economic benefits of biomass in the Southwest as a replacement for non-renewable energy. Now: Staff at the New Mexico Environment Department Air Quality Bureau. |
