Dr. Leslie Roche is Professor of Cooperative Extension in Rangeland Management and Russell L. Rustici Endowed Specialist in Rangeland Watershed Science at the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. She uses interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to address issues critical to ranching and rangeland resilience, including rangeland drought and climate change and managing for ecosystem services on California’s working rangelands.

Dr. Toby O’Geen is a Professor and Soil Resource Specialist in Cooperative Extension and the Russell L. Rustici Endowed Chair in Rangeland Watershed Science in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at UC Davis. His research program focuses on the application of soil-landscape relationships to address issues related to rangeland health, agricultural productivity, environmental quality and natural resource management. His outreach activities emphasize interactive online soil survey delivery mechanisms and decision support tools (apps) for the public: https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/soilweb-apps/.

Dr. Daniel Swain is a climate scientist focused on the dynamics and impacts of extreme events—including droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires—on a warming planet. Daniel holds joint appointments as a climate scientist with the University of California and a research fellow at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research. He engages extensively with journalists and other media partners, serving as a climate and weather science liaison to print, television, radio, and web-based outlets to facilitate accessible and accurate coverage and conversations surrounding climate change.

Dan Macon has served as a Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor for UC Cooperative Extension since 2017 (recently transferring to the Central Sierra office, serving El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties). His research and extension focus includes targeted grazing systems, rangeland climate adaptation, and livestock-predator interactions. He holds a masters in integrated resource management from Colorado State University and a bachelors in agricultural economics from UC Davis.

We are thrilled to feature Bianca Soares Shapero as a speaker at the 2025 Rustici Rangeland Science Symposium! She is the 4th generation in her family’s sheep company and an experienced prescribed grazing practitioner operating throughout California. Bianca will share her valuable insights into building effective prescribed grazing programs for vegetation management.

Patrick Wright is the Director of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, where he led the development of the state’s first Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.  He was previously Executive Director of the California Tahoe Conservancy, and earlier served as both Director of the interagency CALFED Bay-Delta Program and as Deputy Secretary at the California Resources Agency in the Davis administration.  He was also a Senior Policy Advisor to the Regional Administrator of EPA and the Deputy Secretary of Interior, and held positions in EPA’s Air and Water Management Programs in San Francisco.

Axel Hunnicutt is a wildlife ecologist and wildlife manager who has worked across North America and Africa with various large carnivores. As the State Gray Wolf Coordinator for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, he leads the state’s efforts in gray wolf conservation management, recovery, and research.

Dr. Tina L. Saitone is a Professor of Extension focused on Livestock and Rangeland Economics in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Saitone’s research and extension program is motivated by agricultural, environmental, and regulatory factors that impact the economic sustainability of ranching.

Ken’s research and outreach is focused on developing sustainable livestock production enterprises on rangelands. He has examined plant, water, soil, and animal response to range management activities such as grazing, roads, prescribed fire, brush thinning, and restoration. He is currently studying the scope and scale of the conflict between Gray Wolf and cattle production in northeastern California.