Elise Gornish

Director of the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill
Image of Elise Gornish smiling and raising hand behind a cactus
egornish@arizona.edu

Elise Gornish, serves as associate professor and extension specialist in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment under the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, and new faculty director of the Arizona Institute for Resilience’s Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill.

A cooperative extension specialist in ecological restoration, Gornish’s research and outreach program focuses on restoration and management strategies of dryland vegetation that mitigate effects of climate change. She routinely works with individuals and organizations across Arizona to integrate research with education in restorative practices for both natural and agricultural landscapes.

Degree(s)

  • 2013 Ph.D. Ecology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
  • 2009 M.S. Ecology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
  • 2006 B.S. Conservation Biology, Hunter College, New York, NY
  • 2003 B.A. English, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
  • 2003 B.S. Business, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY