Trees are a foundation for life in the terrestrial ecosystems we inhabit as humans. However, without the work of many people, urban trees and the arboretum would not thrive or be able to support the community around us. Here we recognize the volunteers, staff in plant sciences and UFS grounds management, faculty collaborators, board members, community partners, philanthropic supporters and our donors who work on behalf of the Campus Arboretum to ensure it is not only an inspiring destination but an enriching educational facility!
Meet the Advisory Board
Dr. Tanya Quist is the director of the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum, and an Associate Professor in The School of Plant Sciences. She earned a Ph.D. studying plant environmental stress and M.S. and B.S. degrees in horticulture science. She advocates for responsible landscape practices which protect urban trees and support sustainable landscape management.
Current Board Members 2024-25
Juan Barba Juan Barba is a Consulting and Working Arborist, the owner of Juan J. Barba & Associates in Tucson, Arizona. Holding a degree in Environmental and Landscape Horticulture from the UofA and ISA Arborist Certification, Juan has practiced in and instructed all facets of arboricultural & horticultural care around Arizona and many other states. A native Tucsonan who enjoys traveling, he is a past president of Western Chapter, ISA and a former chair of Trees for Tucson. Learn more about Juan!
Dr. A. John Bramley, born and educated in the United Kingdom, is a microbiologist with degrees from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and the University of Reading. After a government research career in England he moved to the University of Vermont where he served as a Professor, Chair, Dean, Provost and Interim President. Following his retirement to southern Arizona his interest in plants and horticulture drew him to the University Campus Arboretum which he sees as both a place of beauty and an expression of the University Land Grant Mission.
Tom Ellis - Owner, Arborist, Horticulturalist Tom Ellis is a seasoned professional horticulturalist with over 40 years of experience as a land manager. Tom’s career has spanned roles as a municipal horticulturist, urban forester, department director, and educator. He is Tree Risk Assessment Qualified and maintains ISA certification as an Arborist, and Municipal Specialist. His ability to build and develop teams and manage complex projects has provided safe and vibrant green spaces in New Mexico and Arizona. Tom’s passion for the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum began in the early years of the Arboretum’s development driven by his experience witnessing the beneficial effects of green space on people and communities. When he’s not promoting the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum, you might find Tom running, hiking, or biking the many paths and trails in Southern Arizona or working in the garden with his wife, Liz.
Dr. Mark Dimmitt, Ph.D, earned degrees from Pomona College, UCLA, and UCRiverside, and has authored more than 50 scientific and popular publications about ecology and horticulture. His major publication is the plant and ecology chapters of A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert (2000), and he is the Sr. Ed. of the revised edition (2015). He is coauthor of the book Adenium: Sculptural Elegance, Floral Extravagance (2008). In addition to being a Fellow of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, Mark is a renowed plant breeder focused on hybridized Trichocereus, Tillandsia, Adenium, though also known well for his role in selecting the widely used 'Desert Museum' palo verde. Mark also collects and grows a number of other weird plants, mostly succulents and epiphytes at his home and greenhouses in west Tucson. Learn more about Mark!
Peter Dourlein is retired from the UA where he served as an Associate Vice President for Planning, Design & Construction and University Architect for 30+ years. He is a respected and deeply involved member of the Tucson community, serving in many leadership roles relating to sustainability, as member and president of the board of directors of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Metropolitan Pima Alliance, and numerous design and construction industry organizations and associations. He is an accredited professional with the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental design certification program, a published author, and consultant in the Architectural and Construction industry.
Katie Gannon, Executive Director at Tucson Clean & Beautiful, Inc. has been the Executive Director of Tucson Clean & Beautiful since 2020. Previously, she was the program director of the Trees for Tucson urban forestry program, Katie has a Masters degrees in Landscape Architecture and Accounting. She has done post graduate work in public health and has years in program design and development, equity-based community engagement and participatory planning, and grant writing, and experience as a Certified Public Accountant. She is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and served on the City of Tucson Landscape Advisory Committee for nearly a decade.
Nicole Gillette, City of Tucson Urban Forestry Program Manager. Nicole holds a BA in Environmental Science and MS in Geography. She has worked on community and nature based solutions to climate change for over 10 years on diverse initiatives from small scale flood resilience to wildlife conservation.
Matthew B. Johnson, holds a B.S. in Agriculture and a M.S. in Horticulture from the University of Arizona. His career interests have involved a combination of botany and horticulture. For 33 years, until 2024, served as the Program Manager and Curator for the Desert Legume Program, working with the UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Previous to this he served as the Botany Curator for Tohono Chul Park in Tucson. Matt served on the Board of Directors of the Wallace Desert Gardens from 2007—2019 and is a long-time member of the Arizona Native Plant Society, the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society, and the El Paso Cactus and Rock Club. Matt has authored over 90 published articles on botany and horticulture of plants from arid regions. He is a co-author of The Trees of Sonora, Mexico, and author of Cacti, other Succulents, and Unusual Xerophytes of Southern Arizona. He authored treatments for three genera for Field Guide to Cacti and other Succulents of Arizona. In addition to his work as a manager, curator, and author, Matt is a botanical illustrator with line illustrations and photographs appearing in several books and numerous publications. He has traveled extensively to study plants and plant habitats in the southwestern United States and in Mexico, Argentina, Australia, and South Africa. He has visited other dry regions around the world including China, India, Paraguay, and the Mediterranean region in Europe.
Mark Novak, ASLA is an accomplished Arizona landscape architect with a BLA from the University of Arizona. He was the University Landscape Architect at UA for 30+ years up to his recent retirement. Prior to that he was in private practice in Tucson. Mr. Novak specializes in the development of arid region landscapes and urban environments. He has received awards for landscape research and design from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Mark is a founding member of the Campus Arboretum. He first developed his love for trees and the outdoors as a Boy Scout in Minnesota.
Dr. Mike Offerman earned his B.A. degree from the University of Iowa, M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Ed.D. from Northern Illinois University. Offerman was the Assistant Director of the Extended University at the University of Arizona, Dean of Continuing Education and Online Learning at the University of Wisconsin-Extension, and President of Capella University. He worked with the leadership of colleges and universities nationwide as consultant with HCM Strategists, Washington D.C. and internal consultant with Lumina Foundation for Education. From 2022-2024, he worked with the Campus Arboretum tour program focusing especially on arranging special group tours.
Brian Rasmussen, Campus Arboretum Registrar of Collections. Brian works part time as an Independent Contractor for the Campus Arboretum to provide curation support. Brian has 6 years experience working in the Nursery and Greenhouse industry and even longer growing his own collection of rare plants. His work with the Campus Arboretum involves facilitation of plant review for campus installations, maintaining records, providing support for plant succession planning with plants list fitting the arboretum collections policy. In addition to these curatorial roles, Brian has generated interactive videos of the plants in the Mark Dimmitt Desert Plant Conservatory for our YouTube Channel to share his particular knowledge and passion for "weird plants"!
Dr. Dennis Ray, Professor Emeritus University of Arizona School of Plant Sciences. Dennis Ray is an emeritus University of Arizona Distinguished Professor, who held joint appointments in the School of Plant Sciences and the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. He has also held positions as Faculty Associate to the Vice President for Undergraduate Education, Associate Director of the School of Plant Sciences, and Chair, Interdisciplinary Graduate Committee on Genetics in addition to a long history of leadership in the American Society of Horticulture Science.
Brenda Taylor was married to Keith Taylor, Jr. Class of 1954 College of Agriculture, and with him, supported the Campus Arboretum from its beginnings. KT was one of the original Arboretum Board of Directors who helped to Rescue the Krutch Garden. Both Brenda and Keith believe in “paying it forward”, and have always given generously with their money, time, energy and wisdom. Brenda continues Keith’s legacy at the UA through her service on this board. She is committed to supporting arboretum programs and to spreading the word that the UA Campus is a Nationally Recognized Arboretum that not only provides shade and beauty for all to enjoy but also serves as a living laboratory showcasing so many lessons in urban tree conservation and responsible landscape stewardship.
Richard Wiedhopf is the President of the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society and one of the founders of its rescue program that has saved more than 95,000 cacti and succulents from destruction. He served the University in the College of Pharmacy for more than 50 years and retired as Assistant Dean for Finance and Facilities and Curator of the History of Pharmacy Museum. He was an early officer and board member that helped establish the Tucson Botanical Gardens.
Lori Woods earned her Landscape Architecture degree from the UA and worked with RECON Environmental, Inc. She is native Tucsonan, with a passion for Sonoran desert conservation and habitat restoration. Ms. Woods served on the University/Community Planning And Design Advisory Review Committee (PADRAC) for many years and provides design review assistance for key areas of the Campus Arboretum that are being developed, giving careful consideration to their historic context, environmental sensitivity and educational value.
Campus Board Members Serving Previous Terms
As a University, our priority is to communicate knowledge that inspires students to make a difference. The UA Campus Arboretum not only provides a laboratory for active student engagement in a diverse array of classes but also directly provides student employment and practical experience by mentoring student projects. We strive to provide practical experience, nurture passion and depth of character that propels civic leadership.
Student Intern Archive:
- 2024 Staff and Students
- 2023 Staff and Students
- 2022 Students
- 2021 Students
- 2020 Students
- 2019 Students
- 2018 Students
- 2017 Students
- 2016 Students
- 2014 Students
It takes a village to raise a forest! On this page, we highlight some of the many people and organizations that engage actively with the Campus Arboretum.
