Hannah Prather

Hannah Prather is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology at Reed College, affiliated with the Division of Mathematical and Natural Sciences. She holds a PhD in Biology from Portland State University and a B.S. from Oregon State University. Her research focuses on the interplay between lichens, bryophytes, host trees, and ecosystems in the context of climate change and urbanization. She has conducted fieldwork globally, including five seasons on the Antarctic Peninsula studying moss communities, and has pioneered tree-climbing research techniques internationally.

Teaching responsibilities include courses on Pacific Northwest Lichens (BIO 113), Forest Canopy Ecophysiology (BIO 313), and a seminar on Advances in Forest Canopy Research (BIO 431). Her NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020) supported work on urban tree physiology. Current projects explore hydraulic vulnerability of trees in urban heat islands, Antarctic moss responses to warming, and biodiversity conservation in Pacific Northwest epiphyte communities.

Research interests span urban ecology, polar ecosystems, and plant physiology, with a focus on understudied epiphytic organisms. Fieldwork locations include tall tree canopies, urban parks, and the Western Antarctic Peninsula. She emphasizes experiential learning through field-based methodologies and aims to connect ecological research with conservation practice.

Key contributions include studies on species-specific warming effects in Antarctic mosses, urban heat impacts on tree hydraulics, and epiphyte biodiversity in urban canopies. Her work bridges basic ecological science with applied urban forestry strategies to address climate change challenges.