P E O PÂ L E
DR. GRETCHEN LEBUHN
Principal Investigator
The Queen Bee
Gretchen is a professor of Biology at San Francisco State University and the Director of the Great Sunflower Project Her research spans the fields of ecology, biodiversity and conservation biology. She has worked on understanding and conserving plant and pollinator systems from the mountains of Ecuador and California to the canyons of urban San Francisco.
In other research, she works to develop standardized, cost-effective methods for monitoring biodiversity. She has worked on spotted owls, prairie falcons, and bat, plant and bee communities. She developed a monitoring program for UN-FAO and was a lead author on the Intragovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. She is a Fulbright Scholar and a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences. She is the parent of twins.
P E O PÂ L E
DR. GRETCHEN LEBUHN
Principal Investigator
The Queen Bee
Gretchen is a professor of Biology at San Francisco State University and the Director of the Great Sunflower Project Her research spans the fields of ecology, biodiversity and conservation biology. She has worked on understanding and conserving plant and pollinator systems from the mountains of Ecuador and California to the canyons of urban San Francisco.
In other research, she works to develop standardized, cost-effective methods for monitoring biodiversity. She has worked on spotted owls, prairie falcons, and bat, plant and bee communities. She developed a monitoring program for UN-FAO and was a lead author on the Intragovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. She is a Fulbright Scholar and a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences. She is the parent of twins.
STEPHANIE SAFFOURI
M.S. Student
Stephanie is investigating the roles of pollination and vegetative competition in the relative success of three invasive sea lavenders (Limonium spp).  Her research takes place in the coastal salt marshes of San Francisco Bay.  Her primary passion in ecology revolves around conservation and ecosystem functioning.  Through her graduate studies she has developed a great appreciation for our fragmented yet beautiful wetlands, and she loves to spread awareness of their importance to anyoneshecan!
MORGAN BELLE
M.S. Student
Morgan is developing methods for evaluating the biodiversity contributions of native and non-native plants.
MONICA HE
M.S. student
Monica has just arrived and will be developing a new project this fall.
ERIN ELSEY
M.S. Student
Erin Elsey, originally from Michigan, started out in botany which made for an easy transition to bees for her research. Her graduate research involves understanding the effects of drought on bumble bee populations in the Sierra Nevada. She has worked for agencies, non-profits and in the private sector in consulting. She enjoys working with the public, hosting volunteer workshops to foster an understanding of bees and their critical role of pollinating the flowers and the plants we love to eat, view and enjoy.
NEVIN CULLEN
M. S. Student
Nevin is interested in the effects of exotic plant invasion on bee communities and plant-pollinator networks. His research examines effects of the highly invasive Genista monspessulana on bee pollination function and plant reproduction in Marin County, California. In his spare time, he likes to hike, take pictures of insects and drink good coffee. You can see his pictures here.