Justin D. Gay, Ph.D.

I am a broadly trained ecologist and environmental scientist whose work is focused on applied and fundamental aspects of terrestrial ecosystem biogeochemistry. My research aims to improve our understanding about the flow of carbon and nutrients through ecosystems and addresses how different aspects of global change (e.g., altered fire regimes, plant community shifts) are impacting how ecosystems function from a biogeochemical perspective. I use my research to help inform land managers and stakeholders about sustainable management practices in forests and grassland systems.

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At present, I am balancing roles as a full-time teaching professor in the Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Science at the University of Montana and as a research fellow at the USFS Missoula Fire Sciences Lab in Missoula MT. I am developing an integrated undergraduate research program between these two positions that will offer students the opportunity to assist in research projects examining fire effects on soils, plant communities, and biogeochemical cycles.

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When I'm not teaching, in the lab, or in the field, you'll find me on the trail skiing, running, or biking—or spending time with my family, though these activities are not mutually exclusive!