Paul Evangelista Homepage

Dr. Paul Evangelista is a Research Ecologist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory (NREL) and Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability. His research at the NREL extends across a broad array of interests, including invasive species, forestry, rare and endangered wildlife, ecosystem services, fire ecology, and climate change. Dr. Evangelista’s interests are frequently examined in the context of space and time through a suite of integrative spatial modeling techniques that combine field data, traditional and expert knowledge, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing and spatial statistics. Such analytical approaches have been used for early detection of invasive species, discovery of new wildlife populations, mapping land-cover and critical habitats, and predicting species’ distributions in response to changing climates. His research spans a wide breadth of ecosystems, including semi-arid canyon lands of the American Southwest, coniferous forests of the Rocky Mountains, and Afro-montane communities of Ethiopia’s highlands. His work is regularly coupled with non-traditional educational programs that aim to build capacity through experiential learning, applied science and stakeholder engagement. This is best demonstrated by his advisory role with the DEVELOP Program, part of NASA’s Applied Science Program, hosted by the NREL and the US Geological Survey. Ultimately, Dr. Evangelista’s broad research interests center on supporting sustainable management, stewardship and conservation of natural resources.