
Archives: Staff


Ivanna Caspeta
RESEARCH INTERESTS Conservation of native plants of the Southwest In vitro propagation of rare and endangered plants Plant ecology and ecosystem restoration PERSONAL STATEMENT I began my time at the Garden as a volunteer during high school and later joined the Dryland...
Susan Bush
Personal Statement I am a global change ecologist and plant ecophysiologist whose research has largely focused on fluxes of carbon and water in both urban and natural ecosystems. My research interests have spanned scales from leaf-level gas exchange and xylem vascular...
Jessica de Foy
Personal Statement As the Administrative Assistant to the CSO, I manage departmental expenses, along with time and effort pertaining to grant projects. I support staff researchers with foreign travel, coordinate events/programs and participate in garden committees....
Lane E. Butler
PERSONAL STATEMENT I came to the Desert Botanical Garden in 2019 after completing my MS in Plant Conservation Biology and teaching plant biology at the community college level. As Tonto National Forest Rare Plant Community Science Project Coordinator, I am tasked with...
Luis C. Romero
RESEARCH INTERESTS Developing horticulture and conservation practices for rare plants through tissue culture. In-situ and ex-situ plant conservation. Development of propagation and restoration techniques relating to native desert ecosystems. Ecosystems, ethnography,...
Ricardo Garcia
PERSONAL STATEMENT As Plant Materials Technician I work to support the Garden’s Great Milkweed Grow Out monarch and pollinator conservation initiative. One of my primary responsibilities is the propagation of native pollinator plant species, with a focus on native...
Brad Posch
PERSONAL STATEMENT As a plant ecophysiologist, my research focuses on understanding the various ways that plants are affected by changes in their environment, and spans from the molecular to the whole-organism level. I am particularly interested in the ways that...
Challie Facemire
I manage the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA) program at Desert Botanical Garden. CAZCA is an alliance of partners that are committed to protecting the open spaces in central Arizona. For more information about CAZCA, visit here. I serve as a convenor for...