People of NMC

Director of the Herbarium

Sara Fuentes-Soriano, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor and Curator, Plant Systematics

Animal and Range Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Specialty : Brassicaceae - American (Southwestern US and Mexico)

View Fuentes-Soriano Profile | Fuentes-Soriano Researchgate | Google Scholar | CV

Email: sfuensor@nmsu.edu

Curator

Zachary Rogers, M.S.

Professor and Botanist

Animal and Range Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Specialty : plant taxonomy, nomenclature, tropical vascular plants; study groups - Thymelaeaceae, Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae), Garcinia (Clusiaceae), etc.

View Rogers Profile | Rogers Researchgate

Email: zrogers@nmsu.edu

Associated Faculty

Donovan Bailey, Ph.D

Associate Professor, Plant Systematics

Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences

Specialty : Brassicaceae, Leucaena (Leguminosae)

View Bailey Profile

Email: dbailey@nmsu.edu

Nicole Pietrasiak, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Environmental Soil Microbiology

Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Specialty : Biodiversity of soil crust communities

View Pietrasiak Profile

Email: npietras@nmsu.edu

Richard Spellenberg, Ph.D.

Emeritus Curator (Volunteer), Plant Systematics

Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences

Specialty : Asteraceae, Nyctagynaceae, Fagaceae ( Quercus)

Email: spelly@zianet.com

Kelly Allred, Ph.D.

Emeritus Curator, Plant Systematics

Animal and Range Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Specialty : Poaceae, range and poisonous plants, Bryophytes

Email: kallred@nmsu.edu

Herbarium Students and Interns

Marisa Mancillas, Master Graduate Student

Animal and Range Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Research Project: Historical Ecology project investigating biogeographic shifts among plant species along an elevational gradient in response to climate global change at the Organ Mountains, NM.

Interests: Rangeland ecology, botany, ecology, restoration, historical ecology, ethnobotany, gardening, leadership, and mentoring.

Email: mmarisa@nmsu.edu

Micah Funk, Master Graduate Student

Animal and Range Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Research Project: Oryx and cattle breeds interaction in desert rangeland vegetation and soils of the Chihuahuan Desert, NM.

2022 New Mexico Native Plant Society Annual Conference Presentation

Interests: Range ecology and restoration, gardening, carpentry, livestock, and water use efficient agriculture.

Funk CV

Email: funkm@nmsu.edu

Tiana Nez, Master Graduate Student

Animal and Range Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Research Project: Impacts of Seed Source in Seed Dormancy and Germination of Restoration-Relevant Spike Dropseed Grass and Tanseyleaf Aster Species in the Chihuahuan Desert

2021 Research Creative Week NMSU Presentation

Interests: Range ecology and restoration

Nez CV

Email: beall33@nmsu.edu

Alicia Marmolejo, Masters Graduate Student
Plant and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer Environmental Sciences

Research Projects:

Evaluation of Perennial Forages for Limited Irrigated Southern Great Plains Forage Systems
Invasion genomics of camphor weed. 2022 Consortium for Invasion Plant Genomics Presentation

Interests: Rangeland ecology, botany, and soil science

Email: alice12@nmsu.edu

Takoda Cano, Intern (undergraduate)

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Herbarium project: Herbarium digitization, plant specimen mounting and repair, and plant-related literature searching

Interests: I am a fashion major here at NMSU. I enjoy sketching, art, sci-fi movies, and design just to name a few things.

Email: takoda62@nmsu.edu

Herbarium Associates

Carolyn Gressit, Volunteer (Data-basing, filing, etc.)

Plant enthusiast, President of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico Las Cruces Chapter

Specialty or Interests : plants (and most other living things), music & dance, & hiking.

Email: canton49@hotmail.com

Julie Groth-Sorensen, Volunteer (Specimen data verification, cataloging library materials and creating written protocols for various tasks)

Specialty or Interests : Plant, bird, garden, hiking and cooking enthusiast

John Freyermuth, Volunteer (Herbarium library)

Membership secretary, Native Plant Society of New Mexico Las Cruces Chapter

Specialty or Interests:

1) Updating and maintaining plant lists for local trails, canyons, and other small natural areas such as wetlands, parks, and monuments;
2) basic plant identification
3) Ecology
4) Reading

Email: szygint4@hotmail.com