[Draft Bio]

Howard Epstein is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia, specializing in the ecology of arctic tundra, dry grasslands and shrublands, and U.S. temperate forests. His research focus is on vegetation dynamics, nutrient cycling, and plant-soilatmosphere interactions. Within the context of his research on grasslands and arctic tundra, Dr. Epstein has involved individuals from indigenous communities in South Dakota, Alaska, and Russia (Siberia). Dr. Epstein received his B.A. degree in Computer Science from Cornell University in 1986. He received an M.S. degree in Rangeland Ecosystem Science from Colorado State University in 1995 and a Ph.D. in Ecology, also from Colorado State, in 1997. He conducted postdoctoral studies at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado. Dr. Epstein came to the faculty of the University of Virginia in 1998. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.