People
TERC represent hundreds of faculty, researchers, staff, and students who are distributed throughout the campus and region. Through the UC Davis Office of Research, we collaborate to develop and communicate a greater understanding of the natural and human environment.
Executive Director
Stephannie Hampton is the Director of the Tahoe Environmental Research Center and a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy.
In her role as TERC director, Hampton will apply her leadership and strategic skills to expand the range of scientific contributions of TERC research and outreach activities. She will work closely with the center’s staff and campus stakeholders to explore the many opportunities the center brings to advance the study of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that occur beyond the Lake Tahoe region and has impacts around the world. Hampton will play an active role in fostering responsible actions and stewardship in the center’s operations, including facilities and equipment, educational and interdisciplinary research efforts, and creating a larger community of financial supporters for TERC.
For the past two decades, Hampton has been advancing research in freshwater ecology, focusing on the dynamic factors that shape aquatic ecosystems. With long-term ecological data collected from lakes as globally diverse as Lake Baikal in Siberia and Lake Washington in Seattle, she has helped inform environmental conservation efforts and policymaking. Much of her work involves understanding the implications of climate change on water quality, human safety, biodiversity and global nutrient cycles.
Throughout her career, Hampton served in leadership roles in academia including: an assistant professor at the University of Idaho; deputy director for the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at UC Santa Barbara; and director of the Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach at Washington State University, where she also served as a professor in the School of the Environment.
She also served as director for the Division of Environmental Biology at the National Science Foundation for four years.
Hampton received her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Kansas, a master’s in biology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a doctorate in ecology and evolution from Dartmouth College.
Hampton is the President of the Ecological Society of America. She is a Fellow of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography and was honored with its Ramón Margalef Award for Excellence in Education in 2020. Hampton previously served as Chair of the Advisory Committee for NSF’s Biological Sciences from 2017 to 2018 and as member from 2016 to 2017.
Director Emeritus
Dr. Geoffrey Schladow, professor of civil and environmental engineering, was appointed founding director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center in August, 2004. As director of the largest limnological facility west of the Great Lakes, Dr. Schladow is uniquely qualified in serving as the focal point for UC Davis’ research, teaching, and outreach agenda at Lake Tahoe. Dr. Schladow, who holds a doctoral degree in civil engineering, is an expert in the areas of environmental fluid mechanics, water quality modeling, and the dynamics of inland waters. He is developing computer models to link stream flow, meteorological and remote-sensing information that provide Tahoe decision-makers new management tools. Originally from Australia, Dr. Schladow has been on the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Davis since 1993.
Core Staff
Our dedicated staff works together to accomplish the goals of the center. Approximately seventeen core staff fulfill the administrative, research and communication needs of the center and provide services and assistance to TERC programs and projects, UC Davis initiatives, and visiting faculty and researchers.
Volunteer Docents
The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center has initiated this Docent Program in order to connect the talents of community volunteers with the curiosity and interests of visitors, residents, and students. Docents utilize TERC's two educational centers (Tahoe Science Center in Incline Village and the Eriksson Education Center and Demonstration Garden in Tahoe City) to help visitors have an enjoyable and educational experience through which they will learn about Lake Tahoe and environmental problems affecting it and solutions through stewardship.
AmeriCorps Members
The TERC Education Team includes three AmeriCorps members as Education Program Assistants. AmeriCorps member positions begin October through the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Program. Visit the program website to submit an application as described. Please check out the different SNAP host sites across the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Informational posters and flyers are available here! SNAP FAQ.
Graduate Students
TERC attracts the best and brightest students. Graduate student research focuses on solutions to sustain the health of Lake Tahoe and other lakes worldwide. Invest in tomorrow's leaders by supporting the Charles Goldman Endowed Fund.
Interns & Summer Internships (on-going)
Summer internships are available for college students to work in the laboratory, in the field and in the science education centers at Lake Tahoe. Interested applicants should submit an application package including a cover letter specifying the area(s) of interest, dates and hours of availability, resume, unofficial college transcripts, and three reference contacts to Alison Toy, internship coordinator at antoy@ucdavis.edu by March 31. Internship applicants are welcome to turn in a complete application package at any time.
Job Opportunities
TERC Personnel Hourly Rates (per hour):
Base Recharge Rate:
Field Staff $61.00
Education Staff $68.50
Laboratory Staff $60.00
External Recharge Rate with NUD
Field Staff $81.50
Education Staff $91.50
Laboratory Staff $80.00