Rethinking Lawns

Becky Barak, Ph.D.

Conservation Science
Chicago Botanic Garden
@BeckSamBar

Becky is an Assistant Conservation Scientist at Chicago Botanic Garden and Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University in the Program in Plant Biology and Conservation. Becky studies seed biology and biodiversity in restored tallgrass prairies, and how decisions are made for restoration, particularly for seed mix design.

Rebecca Tonietto, Ph.D.

Community Ecology & Conservation Biology
University of Michigan – Flint
@BeckyTonietto

Rebecca is an Assistant Professor at University of Michigan–Flint in the Department of Natural Sciences. She studies native bees and plants that support them in urban and restored landscapes, with a focus on how we can alter our cities to benefit bees.

Lauren Umek, Ph.D.

Urban Ecology
Chicago Park District
@lglyndal

Lauren is a Project Manager at the Chicago Park District, managing natural area sites all over the Chicagoland area. She studies urban restoration ecology, invasive species, and their impacts on soil.

Liz Anna Kozik

Research Scientist
Chicago Botanic Garden
@chase_prairie

Liz is an artist, storyteller, and social scientist, doing all of the above as the Rethinking Lawns Research Coordinator. She uses art and comics to share stories of midwestern landscapes and the intertwined relationships between people and plants. Mostly, she draws pictures and talks too much about goldenrod.

Natalie Love

Assistant Professor / Conservation Scientist
Chicago Botanic Garden

Natalie Love is an urban and spatial ecologist with a focus on urban trees. Her research focuses on assessing the spatial distribution of plant species in cities and the value of this biodiversity for ecosystem function and conservation in urban landscapes. She addresses scientific questions at a range of spatial scales and using a variety of methods including remote sensing, experimental field work, leveraging existing datasets, and population genetics with the aim of advancing science-backed policy for urban greening initiatives especially in the context of climate change.

Nadav Mouallem

Research Coordinator
Chicago Park District

Nadav Mouallem is the head of the Rethinking Lawns field team and leads the way through data collection, management, and analysis. He has a Masters of Science in Wildland Resources from Utah State University.

Alison Branz

Science Writer
Chicago Botanic Garden

Alison Branz is a scientist, science writer, and landscape designer who is al about native plants. She got her MS degree with the Rethinking Lawns program