Jill Baron, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Jill S. Baron is a senior scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, and a Senior Research Ecologist with the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University. Her interests include applying ecosystem concepts to management of human-dominated regions, and understanding the biogeochemical and ecological effects of climate change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition to mountain ecosystems.
She is founder and Co-Director of the John Wesley Powell Center for Earth System Science Analysis and Synthesis. She is the North American Director of the International Nitrogen Initiative. Baron was President of the Ecological Society of America in 2014, is a Certified Professional Ecologist, and a Fellow of the ESA. She was named a Woman of Vision in 2015 by Colorado Women of Influence for her work advancing women’s role in science. Baron is active in US National Climate Assessment efforts, has given testimony to Congress on western acid rain and climate change issues, and was Editor-in-Chief of Issues in Ecology, an Ecological Society of America publication for non-scientists from 2009-2012. She is founder and Principal Investigator of the Loch Vale Watershed long-term monitoring and research program in Rocky Mountain National Park, an instrumented catchment with 33 years of continuous records.
Education
- Ph.D. Ecosystem Ecology, Colorado State University, 1991
- M.S. Land Resources, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1979
- B.S. Plant Sciences, Cornell University, 1976
Professional Experience
- 2009-present Co-Director, John Wesley Powell Center for Earth System Science Analysis and Synthesis
- 2016-present Senior Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins CO
- 1996-2015 Research Ecologist; U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO
- 1986-present Senior Research Scientist; Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
- 2000-present Advising faculty, CSU Graduate Degree Program in Ecology
- 1993-1996 Research Ecologist; National Biological Service, Mountain Ecosystems Section, Fort Collins, CO
- 1976-1993 Research Biologist-National Park Service; Great Smoky Mountains National Park TN; Gulf Islands National Seashore MS; Water Resources Division, Washington D.C. and CO
Affiliations
- Present: Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Senior Scientist
- Present: Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Advising Faculty
- Present: Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Faculty Affiliate
Science and Products
The Western Mountain Initiative (WMI)
Western Mountain Initiative (WMI) is a long-term collaboration between FORT, WERC, NOROCK, USFS, NPS, LANL, and universities worldwide to address changes in montane forests and watersheds due to climate change. Current emphases include altered forest disturbance regimes (fire, die-off, insect outbreaks) and hydrology; interactions between plants, water, snow, nutrient cycles, and climate; and...
Western Mountain Initiative: Central Rocky Mountains
Mountain ecosystems of the western U.S. provide irreplaceable goods and services such as water, wood, biodiversity, and recreational opportunities, but their responses to global changes are poorly understood. The overarching objective of the Western Mountain Initiative (WMI) is to understand and predict the responses, emphasizing sensitivities, thresholds, resistance, and resilience, of...
Much Deserved Award Presented to Dr. Jill Baron
Every two years, the U.S. Geological Survey reviews top scientists for possible promotion to Senior Scientist (ST) - the highest level that a federal research scientist can achieve.