Acknowledgements

slightly edited for what little anonymity I actually have on this blog.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As a student in the GGE I have had diverse and abundant mentors, the most important of which is Dr. BPM. I could never imagine the journey I would embark upon when I cold-called B and set up an appointment to discuss “the possibility of graduate school.” I liked him immediately, and cannot imagine earning a Ph.D. in any other lab or with any other advisor. Graduate school can be a bumpy road, and I can only attempt to appreciate how awesome I had it in the Lab. Every day yielded something new, with plenty of laughs, rants, baked goods, and on the very rare occasion, tears.

My lab mates are the foundation upon which the GVL is built. B has managed to select an ever-evolving group of brilliant, kind, and supportive people who run the lab. Dr. MS in particular has been like a big sister to me, patiently listening to my trials and selflessly (and ruthlessly!) editing every last one of my manuscripts.

I am also very grateful to Dr. KB, a former lab mate who now resides in my virtual world for constant conservation, grammar tips, and recipe swaps. K must be the best copy editor I know, and he has always made time to dole out sage advice despite a busy family life and great accomplishments. He truly earned the nickname “Captain America” and will surely contribute to conservation in North America in any capacity he chooses.

I have been fortunate to have many agency mentors, including SP (California Department of Fish and Game) who manages to stay positive in the face of increasingly difficult working conditions. He is forward-thinking yet practical, a rare combination. WS (California Department of Fish and Game) has tirelessly worked for the reintroduction of the Paiute cutthroat trout despite a litany of legal battles and setbacks. His persistence is inspiring, as are his backcountry steak-cooking, guitar-playing, whiskey-drinking, and amusingly dry sense of humor. I would also like to thank Dr. JH for giving my agency experience and teaching me once and for all that I am not meant for a desk job. I am continually amazed at how he juggles an agency job, a family, teaching, and research. I hope I can accomplish a fraction of what he does, with an ounce of his Zen.

What can I say about Sunshine? She is my closest friend, and is like a sister to me. We have shared this journey and I certainly could not have done this without her. She has been there, back, and there again with me. I am amazed and grateful that she never gave up on me.

Last but not least I would like to thank my family. With the submission of this dissertation I will be come the third Doctor F in my family. In hindsight this legacy seems like a natural culmination of three generations of curiosity, opportunity, and hard work, but I never predicted it, and there were times when it did not seem possible. I hope I have made my parents proud, and am forever grateful for the opportunities and space they gave (and continue to give) me to find my own way.