New director of USGS bio science centers in Flagstaff, Tucson

The USGS appointed Kate Kitchell as director of the Southwest Biological Science Centers which has offices in Flagstaff, Tucson, and Moab, Utah.

The announcement said that "before joining the USGS in 2005, Kitchell was the Bureau of Land Management’s Deputy State Director for Resources in Utah, serving 16 years with the Bureau and the previous 10 years with the National Park Service."

Headquartered in Flagstaff, Ariz., the science center "is home more than 100 federal and university scientists and staff who conduct research to meet the needs of resource managers and society in the context of rapid social and environmental change throughout the Southwest. Research areas include Colorado River ecosystems, the effects of climate change on wildlife, the functioning and resilience of dryland ecosystems, ecological implications of renewable energy development, and the effects of border security activities on ecosystem health."