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The 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome degraded forest productivity to the extent that historical carbon sinks become net carbon sources – trees which have previously experienced such events once every 1,000 years, but under future climate projections may alarmingly be subjected to similar heatwaves every 5-10 years by mid-century. Alex’s research aims to characterize how extreme, transient heat influences physiological function in PNW conifers, and how species-specific thermotolerance traits of chlorophyll fluorescence, transpirational leaf cooling, and heat shock protein synthesis contributes to spatial and temporal patterns of forest productivity towards an improved understanding of land-atmosphere carbon exchange. Alex previously completed their bachelor’s degree in Botany at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and master’s of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Denver studying the impact of drought on subalpine conifer seedling survival, and has contributed to tree fruit research at Washington State University and investigated how non-structural carbohydrates influence water relations and drought vulnerability in ponderosa pine at the University of Montana.