Our Team
External Advisory Board | Research Team | Extension and Outreach Team | Education Team | Principal Investigators | Graduate Fellows | Teacher Mentors | SBAR Alumni
The SBAR team has experienced engineers, plant scientists, educators, and extension professionals working to optimize the production of guayule and guar to enable the Southwest to significantly impact biofuels and other high-value markets. Many team members work in multiple project components, which ensures a more integrated project approach. The team meets annually at the University of Arizona to review accomplishments and chart future strategies and specific annual goals.
Advisors
Chris Cassidy
USDA Rural Development
Matthew Chavez
Independent Grower, New Mexico
Steve Csonka
Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI)
Gary Deen
Independent Grower, Double D Farms Partnership
Bill Goldner
USDA NIFA
John Holladay
LanzaTech, Inc.
Chris Kuzdas
Environmental Defense Fund
Homer Marks
Southwest Indian Agriculture Association
Newt McCarty
NM Cooperative Extension
Jaroy Moore
Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center
Alex Muravijov
Guar Resources
Paco Ollerton
Independent Grower, Tierra Verde Farms
Matt Payne
West Water Research, Inc.
Ron Shaffer
Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Research Team
Avery Luna
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Brandon Bartelmie
USDA – Agriculture Research Service (WRRC)
Geneva Ben
New Mexico State University
Shivam Chawla
New Mexico State University
Chen Dong
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Niu Dong
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Ryan Fullerton
New Mexico State University
Trinh Huynh
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Kumiko Johnson
USDA-Agricultural Research Service (WRRC)
Lily Luo
USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ALARC)
Dante Placido
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Grisel Ponciano
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Russell Prock
Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Sergei Shalygin
New Mexico State University
Aaron Szczepanek
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Extension and Outreach Team
Education Team
Valentina "Tina" Andrew
Saguaro National Park Environmental Education, Arizona
Alan Daugherty
Melrose Municipal Schools, New Mexico
Felecia Hinton-Causey
Santa Rosa Ranch School, Tohono O'odham Nation, Sells, Arizona
Traci Klein
Valencia Middle School, Arizona
Margaret Strand
Camino Real Middle School, New Mexico
Teacher Mentors
Valentina "Tina" Andrew
Saguaro National Park Environmental Education, Arizona
Alan Daugherty
Melrose Municipal Schools, New Mexico
Felecia Hinton-Causey
Santa Rosa Ranch School, Tohono O'odham Nation, Sells, Arizona
Traci Klein
Valencia Middle School, Arizona
Margaret Strand
Camino Real Middle School, New Mexico
Graduate Fellows
SBAR Alumni
Ram Acharya
New Mexico State University
Sarah Acquah
New Mexico State University
Milagro Adom
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Rowen Allen
New Mexico State University
Luis Anguiano Sanchez
University of Arizona
Matt Armijo
New Mexico State University
Nick Ashley
University of Arizona
Sheyla Aucar
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Meshack Audu
New Mexico State University
Valerie Bailey
New Mexico State University
Austin Banks
Colorado State University
Armando Barreto
University of Arizona
Sultan Begna
New Mexico State University
Megan Bennett
University of Arizona
Pratima Bhandari
New Mexico State University
Nick Bisley
University of Arizona
Kale Burke
University of Arizona
Daniela Cabrera
University of Arizona
Matthew Canonizado
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Pedro Castillo
New Mexico State University
Kenneth Cazarez
New Mexico State University
Adrianna Chambers
Central Arizona College (Project Puente intern)
Madasu “Chandra” Chandrashekhar
University of Arizona
Feng Cheng
New Mexico State University
George Chong
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
German Coronado
University of Arizona
Amber Dearstyne
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Mark DeDecker
Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Malachai Dehler-Egan
New Mexico State University
Kamel Didan
University of Arizona
Barry Dungan
New Mexico State University
Tristan Dunton
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Pragnya Eranki
Colorado School of Mines
Krista Farmer
University of Arizona
Charles Ferini
University of Arizona
Dominic Flores
New Mexico State University
Miguel Flores
New Mexico State University
Leonel Fournier
New Mexico State University
Sarah Fox
New Mexico State University
Alonso Garcia
New Mexico State University
Adah Gellis
New Mexico State University
Saba Gill
New Mexico State University
Thomas Gloria
New Mexico State University
Harmony Glover
USDA–Agricultural Research Service
Daryan Godfrey
University of Arizona
Chloe Gonzalez
Bridgestone Americas, Inc.; Project Puente intern
Erin Gutierrez
New Mexico State University
Befekadu Habteyes
New Mexico State University
Matthew Harmon
University of Arizona
Stephanie Honeker
University of Arizona
Doug Hunsaker
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Umakanta Jena
New Mexico State University
Jack Johnson
Colorado State University
Aaron Judkins
University of Arizona
Pujan Kafle
University of Arizona
Sita Khanal
New Mexico State University
Kasia Kiela
University of Arizona
Alix Knagg
New Mexico State University
Travis Le-Doux
New Mexico State University
Greg Leake
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Jessica Ledesma
University of Arizona
Taylor Levy
University of Arizona
Manping Liu
University of Arizona
Patrick Lohr
University of Arizona
Esai Lopez
New Mexico State University
Jasmine Lopez
University of Arizona
Alberto Lorenzo
New Mexico State University
Sicilee Macklin
New Mexico State University
Jacob Maher
New Mexico State University
Jonathan Rodriguez Maldonado
University of Arizona
Michael Mares
New Mexico State University
Celestina Marinez
University of Arizona, Project Puente intern
Cesar Martinez-Bejarano
New Mexico State University
Wenzhe Mi
Salpointe Catholic High School (Project Puente intern)
Julia Miller
New Mexico State University
Madison Montes
University of Arizona
Sa’Rae Montoya
New Mexico State University
Kyle Moore
New Mexico State University
Hasti Mozaffari
New Mexico State University
Andrew Nelson
University of Arizona
Lia Ossanna
University of Arizona
Jasmine Paquin
New Mexico State University
Livvi Pearson
University of Arizona
Shaira Perez
University of Arizona
Sam Pernu
University of Arizona
Kaavya Polisetti
New Mexico State University
Camila Prieto
New Mexico State University
Lucas Ramirez
New Mexico State University
Jaspreet Rekhi
University of Arizona
Joram Robbs
New Mexico State University
Rodrigo Rosalez
New Mexico State University
Kimberly Salinas
New Mexico State University
Nathan Schavz
New Mexico State University
Tarah Schuman
New Mexico State University
Ujala Sehar
New Mexico State University
Rebecca Sheng
University of Arizona
Cara Duncan Shopa
University of Arizona
Stephanie Sikora
University of Arizona
Jagdeep Singh
New Mexico State University
Peter Skelton
New Mexico State University
Kyra Skuse
Chandler High School (Project Puente intern)
Ana Lucia Soto
University of Arizona, Project Puente intern
Grant Stoner
New Mexico State University
David Struthers
New Mexico State University
Hailey Summers
Colorado State University
Ou Sun
University of Arizona
Stephen Taylor
New Mexico State University
Mira Theilmann
University of Arizona
Mira Theilmann
University of Arizona
Christine Toering
University of Arizona
Stephanie Torres
New Mexico State University
Brian Treftz
New Mexico State University
Justin Valdez
New Mexico State University
Victoria Valenzuela
New Mexico State University
Jorge Vega
New Mexico State University
Margie Vela
New Mexico State University
Gianni Velasco
University of Arizona
Brandon Vera
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Gloria Vill Barbosa
University of Arizona
Quinn Waltz
University of Arizona
Stephanie Willette
New Mexico State University
John Willmon
University of Arizona
Scott Woolf
New Mexico State University
April Wright
New Mexico State University
Ya-ming Xu
University of Arizona
Jocelyn Zhu
Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (summer intern)