Lauren D. Quinn,^1,* Mietek Kolipinski,^1,2,** Vânia R. Coelho,^1,*** Bonnie Davis,^1,**** John-Mary Vianney,^1,***** Orgiltuya Batjargal,^1,****** Monika Alas,^1,******* Sibdas Ghosh<sup>1,********,*********

1</sup>1 Department of Natural Sciences, and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, 50 Acacia Ave
²2 National Park Service, Pacific West Region, 1111 Jackson St., Oakland, CA 94607

^*Lauren Quinn currently resides in Australia, where she works in a research role for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). She conducted her doctoral research on the riparian invader Arundo donax in southern California, and has studied Centaurea maculosa and Tamarix ramosissima in other parts of the Western U.S. She is interested in questions of habitat susceptibility to plant invaders and impacts of plant invaders on native ecosystems, and is currently applying these questions to freshwater systems in Australia.
^**Mietek Kolipinski began his early scientific work with microbiological cancer research and later received a PhD in marine science in Miami, Florida. Kolipinski then conducted research in marine and freshwater hydrobiology in South Florida. Since 1971 and currently he is a natural resources and research administrator with the Pacific West Region of the National Park Service. Kolipinski is an Honorary Teaching Fellow at Dominican University of California and conducts research with faculty and students in U.S. national parks.
^***Vania R. Coelho is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, California. Dr. Coelho's research focuses on ecology and evolutionary biology of marine invertebrates. Her research interests include benthic community ecology, population biology, behavior, systematics of crustaceans, and coral reef ecology.
^****Bonnie Davis, an avid trail rider and horsecamper for over 40 years, has presented workshops, clinics, lectures and presentations on horsecamping, trail riding, preserving trails, and developing and keeping trails accessible to equestrians and trail riders. Her columns, articles and stories have appeared in local, national, and worldwide publications. Her recognized, informational, educational website focuses on locating Certified Weed Free Feeds nationwide. She maintains a nationwide presentation schedule, Consulting Editor to ‘The Trail Rider Magazine,’ and is the owner of Two Horse Enterprises, a website/catalog business dedicated to trail riding and horsecamping.
^*****John-Mary Vianney graduated in the spring of 2006 from Dominican University of California as an environmental studies scholar student and with academic honors. She was an active member of our invasive plants research program. Currently, she is a graduate student at Western Michigan University where she is performing research on neuroscience.
^******Orgiltuya Batjargal graduated in the spring of 2008 from Dominican University of California, where she assisted in studies of germinating invasive plant seeds after their digestion by horses. Batjargal was an exemplary student and enjoyed field and laboratory research. She learned to be patient and knew she was making a difference. She has been admitted to St. George's University, Granada, where she will pursue an MD and fulfill her dreams to practice medicine.
^*******Monika Alas graduated in the spring of 2008 from Dominican University of California with high academic honors. Monika was active on campus as a teaching assistant and was a “student ambassador” representing the university to prospective students. She carried out undergraduate research including studies on impacts of non-native plants in natural areas. She plans a career practicing medicine and has been accepted to begin her studies in the medical school at the University of Southern California.
^******** Corresponding author: SGhosh@dominican.edu
^*********Sibdas Ghosh is Chair and Professor of Biology, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, CA. Dr. Ghosh received scientific training in Calcutta, India, and the U.K. and earned a PhD in Plant Molecular Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of Waterloo, Canada. Ghosh has over 30 publications and 100 conference presentations to his credit, many with student co-authors.