INTEGRAL ECOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER - Key Persons
Brittany joined our team to handle the day-to-day operations of the business. She graduated from Walla Walla Community College with an AAAS in accounting and a certificate of business management. Born and raised in northern Oregon, she has a deep appreciation for our forests and wildlife, and is proud to play a small part in the preservation and conservation of California's unique ecosystems. Brittany's hobbies include cooking, house-plant rescue, and being an active new mom.
Christina received her Ph.D. from the College of Veterinary Medicine Pathology Department at the University of Georgia in 2019 and a BS in Wildlife Conservation and Zoology from Humboldt State University in 2012. Her latest research focused on multi-host vector-borne disease ecology using Chagas disease in central Panama as a study system. While in Panama, she also specialized in invertebrate taxonomy and studied changes in food web dynamics and community interactions in response to gradients of deforestation. Her current research interests include general disease ecology questions and wildlife health across a variety of taxa. In her spare time, Christina enjoys playing soccer, acrobatic pole dancing, fishing, and adventurous eating.
Dr. Greta Wengert co-founded the organization and leads on many projects, including IERC's bobcat/ fisher spatial ecology, forensic identification of predators, and yellow-legged frog projects. Greta earned her B.S. in Wildlife Biology at Cornell University, her M.S. in Wildlife Ecology at Humboldt State University, and her Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of California Davis. Dr. Wengert also serves as IERC's Public Information Officer and primary media contact.
Ivan works as an Associate Ecologist with IERC joining the team in November 2017. He earned his B.A. in geography from UCLA and an M.S. in Watershed Management from Humboldt State University. Prior to IERC, he worked as the Watershed Programs Manager for the Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program managing environmental monitoring, data analysis, and technical reporting efforts for numerous southern California restoration projects.
Jon Tenberge is a versatile professional with a B.S. in Conservation Biology from Humboldt State University. His expertise spans the field of ornithology. This includes the study of birds in montane wilderness areas, working at bird banding labs, and exploring remote sensing methods with drone technology. Jon brings a diverse skill set to his work. His background includes careers in automotive technology and finish carpentry. Outside the office, he enjoys mountain biking, fishing, hunting, and woodworking.
Pam recently joined the IERC to assist with accounting and grant management. She is a graduate from Humboldt State University and holds a BS in Wildlife with an emphasis in Conservation Biology and Applied Vertebrate Ecology, and an MBA coupled with a Certificate of Study in Natural Resource Policy & Administration. Over the past ten years, she has worked for several non-profit organizations within Humboldt County and has experience managing large government contracts and private grants. Guilty of raptor rapture, Pam has participated in various research projects on birds of prey within northern CA. In her free time, she enjoys boxing, drag racing, fishing, kayaking, and is interested in pursuing the sport of falconry and therapy dog certification.
Vitek is originally from Prague, Czech Republic. He moved to the US to pursue his career in ecology and received a B.S. in Wildlife from Humboldt State University, M.S. in Biology from College of William & Mary, and Ph.D. in Renewable Natural Resources from Louisiana State University. His work involved habitat use and movement ecology of birds, particularly in Amazonia, but he is interested in ecological questions covering diverse taxa. He joined IERC in 2021. In his free time, Vitek enjoys backpacking, mountain biking, and SCUBA diving.