With a Ph.D. in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology from the University of Colorado, Kailen is an Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine. Prior to his graduate training as a scientist, Kailen worked as an environmental policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council and as an instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School. He has conducted research at RMBL since 2008 and began teaching RMBL’s Field Ecology course in 2013. He has supervised a number of RMBL undergraduate researchers, led the Board Planning Committee for 2014-2016, and assisted with the Douglass Distinguished Lecture Series. He brings the perspective of a younger scientist to the Board, as well as someone who has recently been involved with the education program.