Donald A Falk

Donald A. Falk is a Professor at the University of Arizona's School of Natural Resources and the Environment, with joint appointments in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research and the Institute of the Environment. He holds degrees from Oberlin College, Tufts University, and the University of Arizona (PhD, 2004). His research focuses on fire ecology, fire history, ecological restoration, and resilience in the context of climate change. Falk has been a AAAS Fellow since 1991 and has received numerous awards, including the Fulbright Short-Term Scholar Award and the Ecological Society of America’s Deevey Award. He has authored over 140 publications and co-edited influential books such as Foundations of Restoration Ecology and The Landscape Ecology of Fire.

Falk’s work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, integrating tree-ring analysis, remote sensing, and climate modeling to understand fire regimes and ecosystem responses. He has led initiatives like the FireScape program and served as Executive Director of the Society for Ecological Restoration International. His research spans topics like fire severity impacts, post-fire resilience, and climate-driven vegetation shifts in North American forests. Falk actively contributes to policy through roles like the Udall Faculty Fellowship in Public Policy and advising on Biden’s Executive Order on old-growth forests.

His academic leadership includes chairing the Global Change Ecology and Management degree program and teaching courses on wildland fire and restoration ecology. Collaborative projects, such as the SW FireCLIME partnership, highlight his focus on bridging science and management to address climate change challenges.

Awards and recognitions include the Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award (2012), the Outstanding Course Recognition (2013), and the Laura Marshall Komarek Graduate Student Excellence Award (2020). His contributions span over three decades, combining empirical research, synthesis, and applied solutions to global environmental issues.