Spencer Vieira

Spencer Vieira, an ORISE fellow at AK CASC, has a background cobbled together from work as a stone mason, backcountry guide, forester, and ecologist focused on wildfire and climate impacts. His current work broadly focuses on anticipating and interpreting the impacts of climate on ecosystems, wildlife, and people in Alaska. After many years chiseling and stacking stone and leading backcountry expeditions, Spencer pursued an undergraduate degree in Forest Ecology and Management from Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. After working as a Forestry Consultant specializing in climate adaptive silviculture, he jumped into a Master’s at the University of Montana in Missoula. While in graduate school as a NW CASC Graduate Research Fellow, he investigated how climate change impacts natural regeneration of forests after wildfire.

Continuing to investigate climate impacts with AK CASC, Spencer helps to facilitate the use of climate data for planning, adaptation, and vulnerability assessment. Additionally, Spencer is an instructor for Wild Rockies Field Institute—teaching conservation ecology and outdoor skills to undergraduate students.