People

The success of UFDS comes from the amazing people involved — helpful collaborators and dedicated student researchers. Gretchen Moisen, who spent a 40 year career at FIA, helped create UFDS with Kelly and served as a project mentor for the first decade. Gretchen also coined the name! Nowadays, the UFDS program occurs most summers and is co-directed by George Gaines, Kelly McConville, and Grayson White. By the numbers, UFDS has involved 37 student fellows, 10 FIA collaborators, and 6 additional research mentors.

Student Research Groups

Bucknell Summer 2025

Student Researchers

FIA Collaborators

  • Tracey Frescino and Andy Lister

Project Mentors:

Project Co-Directors:

  • George Gaines, Kelly McConville, and Grayson White

Harvard Summer 2023

Student Researchers

  • Dinan Elsyad (Statistics ’25, Harvard University)

  • Lal Kablan (Psychology and Economics ’25, Harvard University)

  • Niels Korsgaard (Statistics ’25, Harvard University)

  • Thor Reimann (Religion, Environmental Science, and Public Policy ’25, Harvard University)

FIA Collaborators

  • Brett Butler, Jesse Caputo, Tracey Frescino, Sara Goeking

Project Mentor

  • Kate Hu

Project Co-Directors:

  • George Gaines, Kelly McConville, and Grayson White

Harvard Summer 2022

Student Researchers

FIA Collaborators

  • Ray Czaplewsk, Tracey Frescino, Sara Goeking, Gretchen Moisen, Lara Murray, Chris Woodall

Project Mentors

  • Kate Hu, Holly Munro, Steve Prisley

Project Co-Directors:

  • George Gaines, Kelly McConville, and Grayson White

Reed Summer 2021

Student Researchers

  • Sam Olson (Mathematics-Economics ’17, Reed College)

  • Grayson White (Mathematics with a Concentration in Statistics ’21, Reed College)

  • Olek Wojcik (Mathematics-Economics ’21, Reed College)

FIA Collaborators

  • Tracey Frescino

Project Co-Directors:

  • Kelly McConville and Gretchen Moisen

Reed Summer 2020

Student Researchers

  • Maddie Basil (English ’21, Swarthmore College)

  • Isabelle Caldwell (Economics ’23, Reed College)

  • Alex Flowers (Mathematics with Emphasis in Statistics ’21, Swarthmore College)

  • Shulav Neupane (Economics ’20, Reed College)

  • Sam Olson (Mathematics-Economics ’17, Reed College)

  • Olek Wojcik (Mathematics-Economics ’21, Reed College)

FIA Collaborators

  • Tracey Frescino and Chris Toney

Project Co-Directors:

  • Kelly McConville and Gretchen Moisen

Reed Summer 2019

Student Researchers

  • Maddie Basil (English ’21, Swarthmore College)

  • Alex Flowers (Mathematics with Emphasis in Statistics ’21, Swarthmore College)

  • Iris Griffith (Mathematics with a Concentration in Statistics ’20, Reed College)

  • Salma Huque (Economics ’20, Reed College)

  • Sarah Maebius (Mathematics with a Concentration in Statistics ’21, Reed College)

  • Miranda Rintoul (Mathematics with a Concentration in Statistics ’19, Reed College)

FIA Collaborators

  • Tracey Frescino and Chris Toney

Project Co-Directors:

  • Kelly McConville and Gretchen Moisen

Swarthmore Spring 2018

Student Researchers

  • Shirley Cheung (Mathematics ’18, Swarthmore College)

  • Kevin Lai (Economics, Mathematics ’18, Swarthmore College)

  • Lan Anh Ngo Quy (Mathematics, Computer Science ’19, Swarthmore College)

  • Pravadh Singh (Computer Science, Mathematics ’18, Swarthmore College)

FIA Collaborator

  • Tracey Frescino

Project Co-Directors:

  • Kelly McConville and Gretchen Moisen

Swarthmore Fall 2017

Student Researchers

  • Leon Chen (Computer Science, Mathematics with Emphasis in Statistics ’18, Swarthmore College)

  • Shirley Cheung (Mathematics ’18, Swarthmore College)

  • Jacob Gichan (Mathematics, Classical Studies ’18, Swarthmore College)

  • Kevin Lai (Economics, Mathematics ’18, Swarthmore College)

  • Sida (Mick) Li (Mathematics, Philosophy ’18, Swarthmore College)

  • Lan Anh Ngo Quy (Mathematics, Computer Science ’19, Swarthmore College)

FIA Collaborator

  • Tracey Frescino

Project Co-Directors:

  • Kelly McConville and Gretchen Moisen

Swarthmore Spring 2016

Student Researchers

  • Becky Tang (Computer Science, Mathematics ’18, Swarthmore College)

  • George Zhu (Mathematics, Philosophy ’17, Swarthmore College)

FIA Collaborator

  • Tracey Frescino

Project Co-Directors:

  • Kelly McConville and Gretchen Moisen

Whitman Fall 2013 & Spring 2014

Student Researchers

FIA Collaborator

  • Tracey Frescino

Project Co-Directors:

  • Kelly McConville and Gretchen Moisen

FIA Collaborators and Other Mentors

  • Brett Butler (Research Forester, FIA). Summer 2023.

  • Jesse Caputo (Research Forester, FIA). Summer 2023.

  • Ray Czaplewski (Retired FIA Scientist). Summer 2022.

  • Tracey Frescino (Forester, FIA). Fall 2013 - present.

  • Andy Lister (Research Forester, FIA). Summer 2025.

  • Sara Goeking (FIA National Program Manager, FIA). Summer 2022 and 2023.

  • Kate Hu (Assistant Professor of Statistics, Ohio State University). Summer 2022 and 2023.

  • Gretchen Moisen (Retired FIA Research Forester, Skier, Foiling Surfer). Fall 2013 - 2022.

  • Holly Munro (Senior Research Scientist, NCASI). Summer 2022.

  • Lara Murray (Principal Owner, Seris Forest Analytics). Summer 2022.

  • Steve Prisley (Consultant, Formerly Principal Research Scientist, NCASI). Summer 2022.

  • Chris Toney (Biological Scientist, FIA). Summer 2019 - 2020.

  • Chris Woodall (Director of U.S. Forest Science and Policy, CTrees). Summer 2022.

Co-Directors

George Gaines

Research Mathematical Statistician, FIA

Kelly McConville

Director, Dominguez Center for Data Science, Bucknell University

Grayson White

Visiting Assistant Professor of Statistics, Reed College