Mitchell Power

Mitchell Power is a Professor at the University of Utah's School of Environment, Society & Sustainability, with expertise in paleoecology and biogeography. He maintains dual roles as Curator of Botany at the Natural History Museum of Utah and leads international research projects in Ethiopia, South Africa, Colombia, and the western U.S.

• Academic Pathway: University of Oregon PhD (2008), Northern Arizona University MS (1998), University of Maine BA (1992)
• Research Focus: Historical biogeography, climate-vegetation-fire interactions, and human impacts on ecosystem dynamics through deep time

Paleofire Research Trends from his 2021-2025 publications show cross-continental analysis of fire regimes through sedimentary charcoal records and multi-proxy datasets, spanning from the Amazonian ecotone to Mediterranean olive cultivation regions. His team employs advanced dating techniques (OSL, 14C) and statistical modeling (linear regression, ecometrics) to disentangle climate and human drivers.

Collaborative Network includes institutions like:

• National Science Foundation
• University of Exeter (NERC funding)
• USDA Forest Service
• DOI Bureau of Land Management

Teaching Portfolio encompasses:

• PhD/Master's thesis supervision
• Paleoclimatology courses
• Archaeology-paleoecology methodology
• Global environmental patterns