About

The Great Basin Institute is an interdisciplinary field studies organization that promotes environmental research, education, and conservation throughout the West. The Institute advances ecological literacy and habitat restoration through educational outreach and direct service programs.

Jerry Keir is the co-founder and Director of the Great Basin Institute. Born and raised among the tall oaks and open fields of northern Illinois, Jerry migrated south for his formal education, earning a BA at the University of Texas in 1990 and an MA at Southwest Texas University in 1993. An itinerate wanderer, he lived, taught and traveled throughout Japan and Mexico, before returning to the US in 1996 to continue graduate work at the University of Nevada, Reno. While studying experimental field ecology at a Sierra Nevada field station, Jerry met the Institute’s co-founder, Sanjay Pyare, and began developing and implementing environmental field course curricula and service programs for the University, which eventually led to the formation of the Institute.

In 1999, Keir founded the Nevada Conservation Corps, an award winning direct service program funded by AmeriCorps. In 2001, Jerry returned to Mexico to establish an academic field studies program based on issues of cultural ecology along the central pacific coast, the Costalegre. With added Earthwatch Institute funding in 2003, the program now engages internationals from around the world in community-based coastal conservation and restoration, a project which has become the subject of Jerry’s doctoral work. When not running programs or dreaming up new ones, Jerry enjoys exploring the Great Basin and Lake Tahoe region with his spouse, Maria, their two children, Alejandro and Amaya, and their happy yellow lab, Sal.

In April of 2010, Kevin Dose , a long time friend of GBI, returned to the NCC as the Program Director. Kevin’s expereince with GBI and the environmental movement spans over a decade. Kevin graduated from Purdue University in 2002 with a BS in Environmental Health. After graduating, he joined the NCC as a crew leader for the Great Basin National Park summer field season, running a trail crew on Wheeler Peak. He found the experience so satisfying that he returned for another year in the field, supporting restoration and conservation efforts across the state. After a year and a half of field work, Kevin assumed the role of NCC crew coordinator for another two years. Although the NCC was smaller then, he acquired the essential skills for deploying hand crews.

While Kevin departed GBI and Nevada in the fall of 2005, the importance of the Corps experience stayed with him. For the ensuing years, he pursued a career in environmental consulting where he spent five years in Austin, Texas, working in the private sector. “My work in environmental consulting provided numerous opportunities to enhance my managerial skills,” said Kevin upon his return to the NCC. “I am eager to apply my knowledge of partnership development, strategic planning, and community capacity building to my new role with GBI.

Erin Goergen came to GBI as the Research Associate Program Director in August of 2011. Erin was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, but lived on both coasts as well as in Hawaii. She received her BS in biology from Creighton University in NE where she worked on plant invasion in the tallgrass prairie. Erin went on to get her MS in Botany at the University of Hawaii, Manoa where she researched grass invasion in dry grasslands of Hawaii. After her masters Erin worked for 4 years in the biology department at Wellesley College in MA where she conducted neurobiology research on American lobsters. Wanting to return to plant ecology, she went back to school to get her PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at UNR, where she examined the role of native lupines in nitrogen contribution and invasion in the sagebrush steppe. After graduating in 2009, she worked as a postdoc in Dr. Elizabeth Leger’s lab at UNR, investigating native plant evolution in response to cheatgrass invasion, the potential for using native annual forbs as a component of restoration mixes, and the role of fungal endophytes in plant response to climate change. Erin’s desire to continue promoting restoration, conservation and environmental education throughout the West brought her to GBI. “I have a lot of experience working on the research side of these issues, but wanted to gain a greater understanding from a management perspective.” Erin loves being outside; hiking, biking, and gardening. She also enjoys traveling and has been to Panama, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Thailand, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. Erin married her high school sweet heart in 2000 and they have 2 boys, Noah and Christophe.

Lynn Zimmerman taught and conducted research on animal physiological ecology for 25 years before joining GBI in 2007. In the Research Associate program, Lynn is principally involved in oversight and implementation of projects involving wildlife monitoring and habitat assessment. Her formative years were spent observing local habitats from tree height and roaming the fields and forests of western New York, wanderings that eventually led to the Mojave Desert and studies of the thermal and nutritional ecology of herbivorous reptiles for a Ph.D. in Biology. Lynn’s first experience with hypothermia was on the summit of Long’s Peak in the Colorado Rockies, and brushes with hyperthermia have accompanied reptile sampling in the deserts of southern California and Nevada. She enjoys testing her thermal tolerance limits while backpacking, hiking, snow shoeing, running and biking. Lynn has an abiding fondness and respect for animals, and is happiest when among them in their natural habitats.

Jeff Bryant is a Native Nevadan, raised in the desert town of Hawthorne, and came to the Great Basin Institute in May of 2008 after spending five years in the Lake Tahoe Basin with California State Parks. He completed his B.S. in Secondary Education with a minor in Cultural Anthropology in 2006 at the University of Nevada, Reno. Jeff enjoys traveling and has spent time backpacking through Europe, in Costa Rica learning to surf, and is dedicated to visiting friends in as many U.S. cities as possible. When he’s not serenading his Labrador, Ozzy, with his mediocre guitar skills, you can find him mountain biking in the Sierra Nevada, tubing on the Truckee River, or taking a shot at photography. Since assuming the role of ICVE Program Director, Jeff has found close-knit organization that shares much of his own ideology and is proud to work with a dedicated staff, serving his home State.

Spring 2008, Afton Faillers joined GBI as the new Financial Associate. She works with payroll, credit cards, workman’s comp, payables, and making Mike (Financial Manager) laugh whenever possible. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2006 with a degree in Business Management. She also spent a year in Spain as part of her university program. Prior to GBI, Afton worked in management at a food service restaurant all through college. Wanting to use her business degree and work for a non-profit organization, Afton applied for GBI. Afton was born and raised in Reno, Nevada, where she has lived for most of her life. She loves all that Northern Nevada has to offer, but also loves to travel to other countries to experience unique cultures and traditions. Afton tries to spend as much time as she can with her family, friends, her two cats (Kity and Pierre) and her dog (Guss Gus). Afton loves to laugh and truly believes she is the funniest person she knows.

Prior to becoming Research Associate Coordinator, Cydney Giroux worked with the International Conservation Volunteer Exchange and the Nevada Conservation Corps. She graduated with a BA in International Affairs and a minor in Economic Policy from the University of Nevada, Reno. She was born in Seoul, South Korea but lived in Lotus, California for most of her life (before continuing her education at UNR). During college she worked as a whitewater river guide, snowboard instructor, and ski/snowboard demo technician. Upon graduating, she jumped at the opportunity to work for an organization that strives to protect the outdoors she loves so much. Her hobbies include, snowboarding, backpacking, tennis, rock climbing, running, extreme couch lounging, and hanging out with her four legged pals, Bobby and Rocco. Cydney loves to explore new places and has traveled throughout Western
Europe, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Morocco, Mexico, and Peru.

Bridget Walden was born and raised in Reno and is 4th generation Nevadan. After graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2004 with a BS in Business Administration/Human Resources, she moved to Seattle for two years to explore a new area. While there she survived the wettest month ever recorded and moved back to Reno after realizing how much she missed the sunshine. Bridget came to the Great Basin Institute in October 2008 looking for an opportunity to work in Human Resources and be a part of an organization that aligns with her own interests. She likes traveling and has visited many countries including; Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, Egypt, Costa Rica and Peru. She also enjoys running, watching 80′s movies, listening to the Counting Crows and eating bananas.

Stacy Mitchell was born and raised in Reno, Nevada.  In 2010 she graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a BA in Speech Communication and a minor in Psychology.  While in school, she studied abroad in the Czech Republic and traveled throughout Eastern Europe.  GBI’s mission aligns with her personal interests and since May of 2009, Stacy has been working for GBI as the Human Resources Assistant.  She enjoys camping, hiking, riding her bike, yoga, going to Lake Tahoe and traveling.  She hopes to one day visit every continent.

Nick Brancato (from Marietta, OH) first worked for the Nevada Conservation Corps as an Americorps volunteer during the summer session in 2005. He attained a B.S. in Geology from Northland College, an environmental liberal arts school in northern Wisconsin, in 2007. The environmental emphasis he received through his education inspired him to become more involved in the Conservation movement. He returned for a year-long Americorps volunteer position with NCC in May, 2008. After finishing his year-long term, he remained on as a staff supervisor for one of NCC’s forestry crews. Upon finishing the summer 2009 field season, he transitioned into the Crew Coordinator role. He has a deep passion for conservation work, and a great appreciation and respect for those who offer their time and energy in helping to conserve and protect our natural lands and resources both here in Nevada and throughout the world.

John Lavin was born in Detroit, Michigan but grew up in Reno, Nevada. He has lived in California, Louisiana, Kansas, and Costa Rica. He attended Feather River College and received his AS in Environmental Science before continuing on to earn his BS in Physical Geography (GIS and Dendrochronology) from the University of Nevada, Reno. Before coming to GBI, John worked as a Surveyor for the EPA on remote streams. Since coming to GBI in 2007, John has worn many hats. His first job with GBI was working for the Research Associate Program where he inventoried over 9, 000 trees in Washoe County. Within the RA program, John went to Idaho and worked on OHV trail routing, signage, and GIS mapping projects. He also worked for the Nevada Conservation Corps as the Invasive Weeds Project Manager and as a NCC Crew Leader and “substitute” Crew Supervisor. John’s experience and understanding of multiple GBI programs has helped prepare him for his current role as GBI’s Fleet, Facilities, and Equipment Manager. John lives with his girlfriend, Sammy, and his dog Plumas (who is attached to his hip). He is recognizable by his fierce mustache. John has lived and travelled in many places but is drawn to the Reno-Tahoe area due to the endless recreational opportunities. His favorite activities include hiking, mountain biking, riding motorcycles, snowboarding, and going to hot springs.

Stefanie Givens joined Great Basin Institute in July of 2010 when she became Director of the new Galena Creek Visitor Center. Stefanie graduated from CSU Chico with a Bachelor’s degree in Geology in 1995 and has since completed coursework towards a Master’s in Education. She has worked in the nonprofit field as a naturalist, summer camp director, grant writer, development consultant, and most recently, as Executive Director of the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society. She found a home in the nonprofit world and is thrilled to work for a place that combines all of her passions – museums, cultural history and environmental education. When not working, Stefanie loves exploring the Reno area with her daughter, Jessica. But truthfully, on most Sundays, they can be found at Barnes and Noble enjoying a latte and kids milk steamer.

Gwen Bourne hails from Australia, and grew up in the Philippines and the U.S. She has loved calling Reno, Nevada home since 2001. In 2006, Gwen received a MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno and joined the GBI team as the Associate Director in 2010. She has led successful teams and managed finances in a variety of fields, including administration of boarding high schools, coordination of legal teams, and non-profit development. Hiking barefoot through the Adirondacks, and with shoes through the Sierra Nevada are her first choices of activity, along with traveling, kayaking/canoeing, skiing, community enrichment, reading, trying to play piano and bridge, and good conversation. The combination of the GBI team, the GBI mission, and being able to bring her dog to work make Gwen, a happy camper.

We are blessed to have such a gathering of good-spirited, talented folk. Stop by the office and welcome these new faces!

• William Cathey, PhD, Vice-President of Academic Affairs, UNR
• Michael Collopy, PhD, Director of the Academy for the Environment, UNR
• Glenn Miller, PhD, Center for Environmental Sciences & Engineering, UNR
• Scott Slovic, PhD, Center for Environmental Arts & Humanities, UNR
• Alan Gubanich, PhD, Biology, UNR
• Nancy Markee, PhD, Environmental Resource Science, UNR
• Steve Lafer, PhD, Curriculum and Instruction, UNR
• Sudeep Chandra, PhD, Natural Resource Science
• Ed Monnig, Retired, US Forest Service Supervisor, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest