ERNESTO ALVARADO is a biologist and Research Associate Professor at the University of Washington.
Wildland Fire Sciences is his specialty, focusing on the effects of wildfire on a forest’s ecology. “I grew up in a rural area,” he says, “so it just made sense to study Agronomy and Forestry. I also decided to have a focus in wildfires.” Since graduating from university in Mexico he has worked in wide-ranging locales, from the rich tropical forests of Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil, to the boreal forests of Alaska and on into the western U.S. and Mexico.

With over 27 years in the field, his current research covers a variety of topics, from fire management to tropical forestry, to the nature of forest fires in response to climate change.