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The Great Plains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (GP-CESU) is a network of 16 academic institutions in the Great Plains region and eight federal agencies.  The University of Nebraska-Lincoln serves as host to the GP-CESU.  The unit encompasses a broad geographical portion of the Great Plains and offers an outstanding group of scientists in grasslands, ecosystems studies, and natural and cultural resources management for collaborative research, technical assistance and educational opportunities in the CESU.

HOST

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

ESTABLISHED 2000
WEBSITE http://gpcesu.unl.edu/
FACEBOOK Great-Plains-Cooperative-Ecosystem-Studies-Unit
DIRECTOR Dr. Paul Hanson
Director, Great Plains CESU
Associate Director and Professor, School of Natural Resources
611 South Hardin Hall
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
3310 Holdrege Street
Lincoln, NE 68583-0996
PHONE: (402) 472-7762
EMAIL: phanson2@unl.edu

Barb Biffle
Administrative Coordinator
514 Hardin Hall
School of Natural Resources
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68583-0974
PHONE: (402) 472-8190
EMAIL: gpcesu@unl.edu | bbiffle2@unl.edu
ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENTS

Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement (2000)
Amendment 1 adding the University of Wyoming, South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota
Amendment 2
adding the Bureau of Reclamation
Amendment 3
adding Black Hills State University and North Dakota State University
Amendment 4 adding the Natural Resources Conservation Service

Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement (2005)
Amendment 1 adding U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Amendment 2 adding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Civil Works, Emporia State University, and New Mexico Highlands University
Amendment 3 adding South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Amendment 4 adding Winona State University
Amendment 5 adding Office of the Under Secretary of Defense - Installations and Environment

Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement (2010)
Amendment 1 adding Oklahoma State University
Amendment 2 adding the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health
Amendment 3 adding Farm Service Agency
Amendment 4 adding Texas Tech University and World Wildlife Fund Northern Great Plains Program
Amendment 5 adding Bureau of Indian Affairs and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement (2015)
Amendment 1 adding University of Wisconsin-Extension and Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Amendment 2 adding Colorado State University-Pueblo

Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement (2020)
Amendment 1 adding Western Area Power Administration
Amendment 2 updating USDA Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service authorities language
Amendment 3 adding Smithsonian Institution

Request updates to partner contact information.
UNIT PARTNERS
TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE ADMINISTRATIVE REPRESENTATIVE
FEDERAL PARTNERS
Bureau of Indian Affairs John Mosley
Branch Chief, Tribal Climate Resilience
Office of Trust Services
john.mosley@bia.gov
Jo Ann Metcalfe
Grants Management Specialist
jo.metcalfe@bia.gov
Bureau of Land Management Kimberly Wahl
Botanist
kwahl@blm.gov
Brittney Linford
Grants Management Officer
BLM Montana/Dakotas State Office
blinford@blm.gov
Bureau of Reclamation Jason Gibbons
Regional Biologist | Title Transfer Coordinator
Environmental and Cultural Resources Group | Missouri Basin and Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas Gulf Regions
jgibbons@usbr.gov
Lindsey Nafts
Grants Officer, Great Plains Regional Office
lnafts@usbr.gov
Department of Defense Zachary Rigg
Natural Resources Specialist
Air Force Civil Engineer Center
zachary.rigg@us.af.mil

Liz Galli-Noble
Program Manager, DoD Legacy Resource Management Program
elizabeth.j.galli-noble.civ@mail.mil
Lori Kruse-Johnson
SWD CESU Program Manager
Lori.M.Kruse-Johnson@usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Civil Works Jennifer Seiter-Moser
Technical Director
Civil Engineering Programs
Engineer Research and Development Center
jennifer.m.seiter-moser@usace.army.mil
Sherry Whitaker
Grants Officer
sherry.l.whitaker@usace.army.mil
Farm Service Agency Rich Iovanna
Agricultural Economist
Rich.Iovanna@wdc.usda.gov
Aileen Anderson
Grants Management Specialist
aileen.anderson@usda.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Greg Watson
Energy/Research Coordinator
Greg_Watson@fws.gov
Anna-Marie York
Grants Management Specialist
Science Applications
anna-marie_york@fws.gov
U.S. Forest Service Paulette Ford
Research Ecologist
Rocky Mountain Research Station
paulette.r.ford@usda.gov
Cindy Gordon
Lead Grants Management Specialist
Rocky Mountain Research Station
cindy.d.gordon@usda.gov
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Christopher Strager
Director, National Weather Service Central Region
christopher.strager@noaa.gov

Bethany Perry
Regional Coordinator
NOAA Central Region Collaboration Team
bethany.perry@noaa.gov
Michael Liddel
CESU Program Manager
Acting Branch Chief, Commercial Fishery Statistics
michael.liddel@noaa.gov
National Park Service Brandon Gerig (Acting)
CESU Research Coordinator
brandon_gerig@nps.gov
John Bechtold
Financial Assistance Awarding Officer
NPS Midwest Region
john_bechtold@nps.gov
Natural Resources Conservation Service Weihuan “Mark” Xu
Director, Resource Inventory and Assessment Division, SSRA
weihuan.xu@usda.gov

David Lindbo
Director, Soil and Plant Science Division
david.lindbo@usda.gov
Aileen Anderson
Grants Management Specialist
aileen.anderson@usda.gov
U.S. Geological Survey Jennifer Lacey
Deputy Regional Director for Science
USGS Midwest Region
jlacey@usgs.gov
Faith Graves
CESU Contract Specialist
fgraves@usgs.gov
Western Area Power Administration Tim Langer
Biologist and Regulatory Specialist
langer@wapa.gov

UNIVERSITY PARTNERS
Black Hills State University Brian Smith
Professor
Department of Biology
briansmith@bhsu.edu

Charles Lamb
Professor and Chief Research Officer
Department of Biology
charles.lamb@bhsu.edu
Bill Kelly
Director of Grants
BHSU Sponsored Programs Office
William.Kelly@bhsu.edu
Colorado State University Mark Paschke
Research Associate Dean
Warner College of Natural Resources
Mark.Paschke@colostate.edu
Kellie Reifstenzel
Senior Research Administrator
Office of Sponsored Programs
kellie.reifstenzel@colostate.edu
Colorado State University-Pueblo Claire Varian Ramos
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Program
Biology Department
claire.ramos@csupueblo.edu
Nicole Quartiero
Assistant Director
Research and Sponsored Programs
Nicole.Quartiero@csupueblo.edu
Emporia State University William Jensen
Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
wjensen1@emporia.edu
Diana Kuhlmann
Vice President
Administration and Finance
dkuhlman@emporia.edu
Kansas State University David Haukos
Professor and Unit Leader
Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Division of Biology
dhaukos@ksu.edu
Paul Lowe, CRA
Associate Vice President for Research
Director, Office of PreAward Services
plowe@k-state.edu
Langston University Kamal Gosh
Assistant Professor
Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
kgosh@langston.edu

Wesley Whittaker
Dean
School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
wlwhittaker@langston.edu
Ardenna Harris
Director
Office of Sponsored Programs
alharris@langston.edu
New Mexico Highlands University Kent Reid
Director
New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute
rkreid@nmhu.edu
Angela Vigil-Juarez
Grant Manager
Office of Research and Sponsored Projects
angela_va@nmhu.edu
North Dakota State University Shawn DeKeyser
Professor and Program Leader
Wetland/Range Management
School of Natural Resource Sciences
edward.dekeyser@ndsu.edu
Amy Scottr
Assistant Director
Sponsored Programs Administration
amy.scott@ndsu.edu
Oklahoma State University Craig Davis
Professor and Bollenbach Chair in Wildlife Management
Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
craig.a.davis@okstate.edu
Toni Shaklee
Assistant Vice President for Sponsored Research
Office of the Vice President for Research
toni.shaklee@okstate.edu
Smithsonian Institution Scott Miller
Chief Scientist, Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Research
MillerS@si.edu
Karen Otiji
Acting Director, Office of Sponsored Projects
OtijiK@si.edu
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Lisa Kunza
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Health Sciences
Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences Program
lisa.kunza@sdsmt.edu
Laurie Anderson
Interim Vice President for Research
laurie.anderson@sdsmt.edu
South Dakota State University Michele Dudash
Department Head and Professor
Department of Natural Resource Management
Michele.Dudash@sdstate.edu
Dianne Nagy
Assistant Vice President for Research Development and Administration
Division of Research and Economic Development
dianne.nagy@sdstate.edu
Southwestern Oklahoma State University Eric Pritchard
Wildland Fire Instructor
Department of Parks and Recreation Management
eric.pritchard@swosu.edu
Lori Gwyn
Director
Office of Sponsored Programs
lori.gwyn@swosu.edu
Texas A&M University Debbie Danford
Program Manager
Co-Director, Gulf Coast CESU
Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
dedanford@ag.tamu.edu
Paula Mathers
Associate Director
AgriLife Administrative Services
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
contracts@ag.tamu.edu
Texas Tech University Christy Bratcher
Associate Dean for Research
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
christy.bratcher@ttu.edu
Amy Cook
Assistant Vice President
Office of Research Services
amy.cook@ttu.edu
University of Minnesota Mike Kilgore
Department Head and Professor
Co-Director, Great Lakes-Northern Forest CESU
Department of Forest Resources
mkilgore@umn.edu
Amy Bicek-Skog
Principal Grant Administrator
Sponsored Projects Administration
askog@umn.edu
University of Nebraska, Lincoln Paul Hanson
Associate Director and Professor
School of Natural Resources
phanson2@unl.edu
David Doty
Director
Office of Sponsored Programs
david.doty@unl.edu
University of Nebraska Medical Center Bruce Grogan
Director
Office of Global Engagement
bruce.grogan@unmc.edu
Madison Gray
Director
Sponsored Programs Administration
madison.gray@unmc.edu
University of North Dakota Brian Darby
Associate Professor
Department of Biology
brian.darby@und.edu
Michael Sadler
Director
Office of Research and Sponsored Program Development
michael.p.sadler@und.edu
University of Oklahoma Heather McCarthy
Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director
Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology
heather.mccarthy@ou.edu
Michael Purcell
Interim Associate Vice President for Research and Partnerships
Executive Director, Office of Research Services
mp@ou.edu
University of South Dakota Tim Cowman
Director
South Dakota Geological Survey
Missouri River Institute
tim.cowman@usd.edu
Daniel Engebretson
Vice President
Research and Sponsored Programs
Daniel.Engebretson@usd.edu
University of Wisconsin-Madison Kevin Erb
Director
Conservation Professional Training Program
University of Wisconsin–Madison, Division of Extension
Kevin.Erb@wisc.edu
Brenda Egan
Proposals Manager
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research and Sponsored Programs
baegan@rsp.wisc.edu
University of Wyoming Gary Beauvais
Director
Wyoming Natural Resource Diversity Database
Program in Ecology
beauvais@uwyo.edu
Farrell Rapp
Manager
Research Services
Office of Research and Economic Development
fgraf@uwyo.edu
Winona State University Charla Miertschin
Dean
College of Science and Engineering
CMiertschin@winona.edu
Brett Ayers
Director
Office of Grants and Sponsored Projects
BAyers@winona.edu
OTHER PARTNERS
Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Christopher Moore
Acting Executive Director
chris.moore@wafwa.org
Cathy Campbell
Grants and Contracts Manager
cathy.campbell@wafwa.org
World Wildlife Fund Northern Great Plains Program Kevin Ellison
Grasslands Ecologist
Northern Great Plains Program
Kevin.Ellison@wwfus.org