Michael C. Stambaugh

Portrait of Michael Stambaugh

Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Forest Ecology

School of Natural Resources

Director

Center for Tree-Ring Science

Chair

Oak Woodlands & Forests Fire Consortium

Research at a glance

Area(s) of Expertise

Research Summary

I am interested in questions that lie at the intersection of forest management, forest ecology, and fire ecology. My research often investigates changes in forest ecosystems, both through time and across space. I am interested in documenting how and why forests change to understand both the past and future. My research commonly utilizes tree rings because they can be precisely dated and span long time periods.

Prior to becoming a scientist, Stambaugh worked as a forester for private industry and the federal government. Since 2010, his forestry research has received over $8 million in grant funding. He collaborates with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, and multiple state natural resources organizations. He has been a National Geographic Explorer since 2010 and in 2023 was a Charles Bullard Fellow in Forest Research at Harvard Forest.

Educational background

  • Ph.D., University of Missouri

Courses taught

  • Forest Ecology
  • Forest Health
  • Advanced Forest Ecology