Tara earned her B.S. degree in Biology from Pacific Lutheran University in 1998, her M.S. in Forest Science in 1998 and her Ph.D. in Forest Science with an Ecology emphasis in 2008, both from Oregon State University. Tara''s research interests include ecosystem ecology, land management, climate change, ecosystem ecology and carbon cycle science. This year, Tara received a prestigious National Science Foundation Career award for her research on how forest thinning practices affect forest health and impact climate change.