Fostering science-based land stewardship and conservation in the Western United States
About
The Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative (UHPSI) is focused on land stewardship and conservation in the American West. At its core, UHPSI seeks to engage in teaching, research and outreach on land stewardship, primarily through mentoring students on applied research and management projects with partners. UHPSI is housed at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies in New Haven, CT.
OUR TEAM

Indy Burke, PhD
Faculty Director
Ingrid C. “Indy” Burke is the Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Dean at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES), an internationally recognized professional school that trains tomorrow’s environmental leaders and creates new knowledge to sustain and restore the long-term health of the planet and the wellbeing of its people.

Michelle Downey, MS
Program Director
Michelle worked on range and wildlife issues on public and private lands throughout the West for 8 years. As Program Director, she connects students to projects throughout the Rockies, assists students in developing deliverables for western partners, and conducts research to address land management issues.

Sabrina Szeto, MF
Geospatial Analyst
Sabrina is UHPSI’s geospatial analyst. She specializes in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and cloud-based distributive computing for land management and environmental applications.

Current Students
Current UHPSI Students
Click here to learn more about our amazing graduate students currently working on UHPSI projects.