Rachel Reeb, Ph.D. - Forest Science Associate:  Rachel is an ecologist with over seven years of experience in invasion biology and global change research. She received her B.Sc. in Biology from the College of William and Mary (VA) in 2018 and her Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Pittsburgh (PA) in 2023. Prior to her current position, Rachel completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (PA), where she served a dual role as an ecologist and as the lead program coordinator for a $225,000 communication campaign about invasive species. To date, her academic work has culminated in seven peer-reviewed publications and several science pieces aimed at general audiences. As a Forest Science Associate at IUP-RI, Rachel is providing science and technical support to the team and advising on externally funded research projects aimed at filling science gaps within the Deciduous Forest Framework.
Who We Are
The DFF Development TeamÂ
Dr. Jeffery Larkin - Team Lead and Science Advisor:  Jeff is a Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the Forest Birds Habitat Advisor for the American Bird Conservancy.  Since 2012, he has served as the science advisor for NRCS’s Working Lands for Wildlife: Golden-winged Warbler. He received his B.A. in Biology from Ithaca College (NY) and his M.S. Forestry and Ph.D. Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Kentucky. His research often combines his expertise in forestry, wildlife ecology, and conservation implementation. During his time at IUP, Dr. Larkin and his students have assisted state and federal agencies and other conservation groups with understanding the ecology and associated management implications for numerous wildlife species. He has authored or co-authored more than 160 scientific publications. In 2016, he was awarded the USDA-Abraham Lincoln Award for his contributions to private forest conservation in partnership with NRCS’s Working Land for Wildlife and in 2019 was recognized by the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for his efforts to help bridge wildlife science and implementation of forest management.
Ron Rohrbaugh - DFF Coordinator:  Prior to joining the team at IUP-RI, Ron spent 25 years as the Assistant Director of Conservation Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and as Director of Conservation and Forest Programs at Audubon Mid-Atlantic. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Wildlife Biology, Forestry, and Ecology from The Pennsylvania State University. Ron has spent more than two decades leading teams focused on avian science and conservation, including topics such as energy development, endangered species recovery, and using applied science to develop large-scale conservation and management plans for birds in grassland and forest systems. His work has included species such as American Kestrel, Northern Harrier, Henslow’s Sparrow, Wood Thrush, and Golden-winged Warbler. Ron is an award-winning author of outdoor books on survival, hunting, and natural history for adults and young readers.
Alex Levine - DFF Communications Specialist: Alex is a naturalist, scientist, and science communicator who has spent most of the past decade creating and managing educational science outreach programs. He received his B.S. in Environmental Science from UNC Asheville where he spent two years conducting eastern hellbender surveys. Alex received his M.S. in Biology from Florida International University (Miami) where he studied shifts in the overwintering ranges of Florida’s migratory songbirds. After managing and directing environmental education teams in New Mexico and Florida, Alex moved to the South Carolina Upstate where he created and coordinated communications for Clemson’s Climate-Smart Grown in SC, working toward increasing the implementation of climate-smart agricultural practices in South Carolina. Alex is an avid birder, herper, artist, and photographer, spending most of his free time exploring the southern Appalachians.