People

Andrea Brunelle

Dr. Andrea Brunelle is the Director of the RED Lab. 

Larry Coats

Larry Coats is the Associate Director of the RED Lab. 

Jesse Morris

Dr. Jesse Morris is the Associate Director of the RED Lab. 

Jenn Watt

Dr. Jenn Watt is the Associate Director of the RED Lab.

Molly Burke

Molly Burke is pursuing a Master of Science in Geography at the University of Utah. She graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Ecology for Environmental Science from the University of North Texas. Her current research links vegetation responses to fire disturbance, climate shifts, and past land management strategies in New Mexico sagebrush steppe systems. She is interested in using paleoecology as a lens to engage in decision making around land stewardship. Outside of the lab, she enjoys planning new bikepacking routes, trail running, and slowly converting her friends’ backyard into a wildflower patch. 

Sam Enke

Sam Enke’s research aims to provide a climatological and ecological reconstruction of the Baja Peninsula through the Holocene. Much of this work is underpinned by his fascination for the dynamic and complex relationships which exist between biota in arid environments, and he hopes to shed light on biotic responses to variations in hydrological patterns such as ENSO and the North American Monsoon. In his free time, Sam enjoys rock climbing, going on long walks, and lounging on his porch. Sam is a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Instructor for an environmental science lab in the School of Environment, Society, and Sustainability, and upon successful defense of his thesis, he will receive his Master of Science in Geography in the spring of 2026.

Kylee Haslam

Kylee Haslam is pursuing a Master of Science in Geography in the School of Environment, Society, and Sustainability at the University of Utah. She graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Urban Ecology with a minor in Environmental Studies and Sustainability. She has been with the RED (Records of Environmental Disturbances) Lab since 2022, primarily working on climate reconstruction in the West Desert and the Desert Southwest. She is currently researching the paleoclimatology of the Bear River Massacre Site. Outside of her lab work, she enjoys jewelry making, rockhounding, reading, and spending time with her amazing family and friends. She loves going on adventures and is an avid explorer, visiting places such as Africa, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Amsterdam, and much more.

Lauren Isom

Lauren is pursuing a M.S in Geography. She received her B.S in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from the University of Utah in 2023. Her research focuses on the vegetation and disturbance patterns of the Northern Rocky Mountains in Central Idaho to identify potential mountain pine beetle outbreaks in high elevation whitebark pine ecosystems over the Holocene. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, biking, and gardening. 

Marti Sorensen

Marti is pursuing a Master of Science in Geography with an emphasis in Paleoecology. She received a BS in Geography with an emphasis in Climate Change and Landscape Dynamics as well as a BS in Environmental and Sustainability Studies with an emphasis in Air, Water, and Health from the University of Utah in 2023. Her research focuses on utilizing fossilized macro and micro botanical remains recovered from packrat middens to explore the vegetation patterns of Range Creek Canyon in east-central Utah during the late Holocene. Given the canyon's remarkable archaeological record, this research also explores how these vegetation patterns correspond to human occupation in the canyon and the taphonomy of packrat middens. Outside of the lab, she enjoys crocheting, hiking, and crafting of any kind. 

Emel Aichele

Emel Aichele is an undergraduate working towards a B.S in Environmental and Sustainability Studies with a minor in Spanish. She is interested in pursuing an Environmental Engineering masters degree as well. She joined the lab fall semester 2024 and is working with Dr. Jennifer Watt on the Bear River restoration project.

Sylvan Carey

Sylvan is pursuing her B.S. in geography at the University of Utah and works in the RED Lab under Professor Larry Coats researching paleoecological change in the Great Basin by analyzing floral macrofossils found in chronologically stratified cave sediment. Other research interests include biogeographical range dynamics and landscape ecology.

Rachel Christensen

Rachel Christensen is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Geography and Environmental & Sustainability Studies and minoring in Earth Sciences and Sociology. Over her time at the University of Utah she has developed a keen interest in interdisciplinary research. Currently she works with the Natural History Museum of Utah to investigate the response of vegetation under changing atmospheric conditions using bristlecone pine trees. Christensen hopes to pursue a path of research to advocate for sustainable action and scientific communication.

Emma Layon

Emma is an undergraduate student in Geography and Environmental & Sustainability Studies. She has been working on charcoal analysis to reconstruct fire history in Baja California, Mexico. She is passionate about understanding climate change and her goal is to continue projects on ecological disturbances in order to understand how various regions are being impacted by these changes. 

Melanie Osuna

Melanie is an ENVST and Geography major working in the RED Lab under Dr. Andrea Brunelle. She's currently working on reconstructing the fire history of core Foot 23B from the West Desert using Charcoal analysis.

Maya Upton

Maya is completing a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Geography at the University of Utah. Her academic journey led her to the Records of Environment and Disturbance (RED) Lab, where she began as a volunteer and now work as a project manager and lab technician. Maya's primary work over the last two and a half years has been in charcoal analysis, contributing significantly to the development of Utah’s most extensive fire record from Fish Lake. She has also begun exploring other proxies, such as pollen analysis and XRF, further expanding her skills in palaeoclimate research.

The RED Lab has been pivotal in Maya's growth and she has had the opportunity to participate in conferences, including PACLIM, presenting on the Fish Lake fire record.

Beyond research, Maya enjoys snowboarding and outdoor adventures that reconnects her to the environment she studies. Looking ahead, she is eager to pursue graduate education, conduct impactful fieldwork, and contribute to solutions for climate-related challenges in fire and water management.