Gough Lab

Thanks for visiting! Here, you will find information about our research in plant physiological and ecosystem ecology. Our emphasis is on understanding how climate, disturbance, succession, and ecosystem structure affect leaf to ecosystem-scale function, with a focus on forest and wetland carbon cycling. Currently, we seek undergraduate and graduate student collaborators to conduct Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), and NASA supported research at VCU's Rice Rivers Center and the University of Michigan Biological Station. Please contact Chris.

Chris is named executive director of the VCU Rice Rivers Center.

What we do in the lab: A National Science Foundation project asks how forests respond to disturbance. NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program East (SARP-E) provides immersive training for undergraduates. NASA and DOE projects investigate mid-Atlantic wetland carbon cycling using ground, air, and satellite observations.

OUR TEAM, Summer 2025

We are a student-centered, collaborative, creative and engaged research group. We like what we do, a lot. Lab members include undergraduate and graduate students, post-bacc researchers, post-docs, and artists. Students in the lab participate in all aspects of research, including study design, data collection and analysis, and publishing.

Chris

Ariel

Chris Gough, Director of the VCU Rice Rivers Center, Professor & Lab Director. Carbon is my favorite element. CV

Lisa

Brandon Alveshere, post-doc (NASA)

Next generation remote sensing of vegetation structure

Laura

Lisa Haber, post-doc (NASA & DOE)

Disturbance and forest + wetland leaf and canopy physiology

Ariel Johnson, PhD candidate (NSF)

Forest compositional change and ecosystem resilience after disturbance

Kerstin

Ariel

Sara Tenda, MS Student (DOE)

Tidal wetland carbon cycling

Ariel

Mindy Priddy, PhD Student (NASA)

Tidal wetland carbon cycling, SARP-E mentor

Ariel

Angela Menna, MS student (NSF)

Drivers of long-term carbon cycling processes

Erin-Darby McClain, MS 2025 (NSF)

Forest carbon cycling, disturbance, and arthropods

Cameron

Leah

Douglas Giles, MS Student (NASA)

Tidal wetland carbon cycling

Leah

Sara Spence, Research Experience for Undergraduates participant, 2025

Forest carbon cycling and disturbance

Cameron

Jane Lively, forest ecology field tech

Leah

NASA SARP-E 2025 6 interns, 1 grad mentor, and faculty mentoring team

Ariel

Nathan Winiarski, forest ecology field tech

Sara Bouchard, FLUXNET Artist-In-Residence

Ariel

Shreya Balla, Undergraduate research fellow and visual artist

Cree Taylor, Undergraduate volunteer and honors student

ALUMNI:

Jade Shull, REU, 2024

Elyssa Pearson, BS, 2025

Theresa Lucas, BS, 2025, Timmons Inc.

Kayla Mathes, PhD, 2023: Now Woodwell Climate Research Center

Akhil Valluri, BS, 2022, undergraduate independent study student

Jason Funderburk, BS, 2022, undergraduate volunteer

Kerstin Niedermaier, MS, 2022

Laura Hickey, MS, 2022

Erika Masis Laverde, BS, 2022, former artist in residence

Leah Capili, NSF REU, 2021

Dr. Jeff Atkins, Post-doc, 2015-2020: Now with USDA Forest Service

Ellen Stuart Haentjens, PhD, 2021: Now with US Geological Survey

Cameron Clay, MS, 2021

Max Grigri, MS, 2020 : Now Program Manager with Verra

Shea Wales, MS, 2019 : Now Environmental Scientist with Verra

Ben Sagara, MS, 2017: Now VA Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries

Cynthia Sheuermann, M.S. 2016: Now a USDA Forest Service Employee

Amy Schmid, M.S. Biology, 2015: Now Manager with Verra

Lisa Collins, M.ENVS.

Alexis Spencer, work study student

Alex Marini, field/lab tech, 2021

Kirsten Street, field/lab technician, 2020-2021

Carol-Anne Petit, field/lab technician, 2020

Keith Dickerson, field/lab technician, 2020

Alley Barry, field/lab technician, 2017-2018

Sheryl Yaconiello, field/lab technician, 2018

Chase Hershberger, field/lab technician, 2018

Catherine McQuigan, scientific illustrator, 2018