The La Kretz Center at Sedgwick Reserve:
- is endowed by Linda La Kretz Duttenhaver and Morton La Kretz,
- is directed by Frank Davis,
- is managed by Kristen Zumdahl,
- supports postdoctoral scholars, graduate fellows, and scholars in residence
- works closely with Sedgwick Reserve staff,
- is strengthened by our partners and collaborators
In 2017, Linda La Kretz Duttenhaver and her father Morton La Kretz pledged $6 million to establish the La Kretz Research Center at Sedgwick Reserve. Linda said “My vision was for a first-class intellectual center attracting top-notch scientists, researchers and environmentalists, those who could develop solutions to today’s pressing environmental problems, such as drought, climate change, native habitats and more. It would be the site for high-level conferences, workshops and brainstorming sessions with the most brilliant minds in science and the environment” (https://www.news.ucsb.edu/2017/017627/all-family). For more information about Linda’s dedication to Sedgwick Reserve, visit https://sedgwick.nrs.ucsb.edu/donor-stories
Frank’s engagement with the UC Natural Reserve System began shortly after he joined the UCSB faculty in 1983. He served as the faculty manager for Sedgwick Ranch from 1990 to 2000 and was deeply involved in the transition from Sedgwick Ranch to the Sedgwick Reserve.
Frank is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. His research focuses on the ecology and conservation of California species and ecosystems, oak population biology, and the ecological consequences of climate change. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Ecological Society of America, Frank received his PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University and his BA in Biology from Williams College.
Email: frankdavis@ucsb.edu
Kristen was hired as the La Kretz Research Center Manager as of July 2022. She will be continuing ongoing research as well as beginning new projects within Sedgwick Reserve.
Kristen received her MSc. in Biology at the University of Manitoba in 2020 and her BS. in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at the University of California, Davis in 2016. Kristen has extensive knowledge and field skills for handling and studying wildlife.
Email: kazumdahl@ucsb.edu
Nikki is the Outreach and Communications Specialist at Sedgwick Reserve. She coordinates the Research Application Management System (RAMS) for Sedgwick, and is the point of contact as users apply to conduct research or reserve resources and facilities at Sedgwick.
Nikki received her Master’s and PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she specialized in human dimensions of natural resource management particularly in contexts of rural places undergoing landscape change. Previous work includes time spent as the Director of Public Programs at Lotusland Botanic Gardens and as a Research Coordinator for the Illinois Natural History Survey, where she coordinated the development of landscape conservation plans.
Email: nevans@ucsb.edu
Nick Lyon
Nick was hired as a Data Scientist at the LKC in late 2025. They are part-time working on developing reproducible code workflows for managing, analyzing, and visualizing the various datasets created by the Center. Nick received their MSc. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Iowa State University in 2019 and their BS in Biology at the University of Puget Sound in 2016. Nick has a solid background in creating and maintaining sustainable, modular code for handling the often messy and idiosyncratic data produced by field experiments.