Arboretum Committee Chair
Dr. Brian Kane
ISA Certified Arborist, TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) , Massachusetts Arborists Association, Professor UMass Amherst
As co-chair of the arboretum committee, and the Massachusetts Arborists Association Professor of Commercial Arboriculture, Brian is a central figure in our campus tree community. Brian has been climbing trees as long as he can remember, a passion that has stuck with him throughout his life as, today, he is a notable contributor to the field of arboricultural research. Arboricultural biomechanics and safe tree work practices are Brian's research focus. With the help of his students, Brian investigates how various arboricultural techniques impact tree stability, sway response, and tree failure. Brian is the instructor for a suite of arboriculture courses in the department of Environmental Conservation including Arboricultural Field Techniques and Trees and Sustainability. As co-chair of the arboretum committee Brian is a decisive leader who is highly committed to the mission of the Waugh Arboretum.
Arboretum Committee Chair
Michael Davidsohn
Senior Lecturer II, MALP, MCLP, NALP, Landscape Contracting Program Coordinator
Mike is co-chair of the arboretum committee, coordinator of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture Landscape Contracting Program, and is a Senior Lecturer II of Landscape Architecture. He has his Massachusetts Certified Landscape Professional (MCLP) certification from the MA Association of Landscape Professionals (MALP). When he's not teaching residential design to students in the landscape architecture master's program, or construction materials to his landscape contracting students, you might be able to find Mike in Durfee Gardens re-designing an entry sequence or demonstrating a proper tree planting.
Arboretum Committee Member
Jack Ahern
Professor Emeritus of Landscape Architecture
Professor Jack Ahern, FASLA retired at the end of the Spring 2020 semester after 34 years in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (LARP) department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Jack was the very model of a modern landscape architect, rooted in sustainable design with a passion for plants, landscape ecology, greenway planning, and ecosystem services. He had a positive influence on the thousands of students who took his classes and the ones whom he mentored. There are so many aspects of the landscape architecture program that bear his imprint that it’s impossible to innumerate them all.
Arboretum Committee Member
Michael Amato
Graduate Assistant
Michael Amato is a PhD student in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning and serves as a research assistant with Facilities & Campus Services. His work centers on communicating the value of the campus tree collection through visual storytelling. In collaboration with Stella Dee, he created the Waugh Arboretum StoryMap in 2022, a digital platform highlighting the history and significance of our campus landscape. Michael continues to use digital photography to showcase the arboretum’s living collection across social media, broadening public engagement with the Waugh Arboretum. He also supports efforts to expand the arboretum’s biodiversity by acquiring new plant material and coordinating public programs, including interpretive walking tours and plant giveaways. Follow his ongoing documentation of plants in the landscape on Instagram at @umassarboretum. Unless otherwise noted, photos on this website are courtesy of Michael.
Arboretum Committee Member
Kristina Bezanson
ISA BCMA®, Municipal Specialist®, TRAQ, MCA, MQTW
Kristina Bezanson, certified arborist and coordinator of the Stockbridge Arboriculture associate degree program, received the 2023 Ryan Award given by the International Society of Arboriculture’s (ISA) New England chapter for outstanding service in advancing the field of arboriculture. She is an ISA Board master certified arborist and qualified tree risk assessor. She serves as vice president and president-elect of New England ISA and is a member of the ISA Student and Early Career Committee. Kristina is also the professor-in-charge of internships for arboriculture majors.
Arboretum Committee Member
Annaliese Bischoff
Professor Emerita of Landscape Architecture
Annaliese received a bachelor’s degree in art from Brown University and a master’s in landscape architecture from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She began her academic career at Kansas State University, where Waugh had studied a century earlier. She taught for forty years at the University of Massachusetts department that Waugh founded.
Arboretum Committee Member
Nicholas Brazee, PhD
Extension Plant Pathologist
Nick is an extension plant pathologist in the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He directs the UMass Plant Diagnostic Laboratory and conducts applied research in urban forestry. His research focuses on wood-rotting fungal pathogens of trees in urban and suburban settings.
The UMass Plant Diagnostic Lab diagnoses plant material samples from homeowners, farmers, arborists, tree nurseries, greenhouse producers, landscape contractors, and turf managers among others. The lab's diagnostic reports identify the pests or fungus present and recommend management strategies backed up by scientific research.
The UMass Plant Diagnostic Lab diagnoses plant material samples from homeowners, farmers, arborists, tree nurseries, greenhouse producers, landscape contractors, and turf managers among others. The lab's diagnostic reports identify the pests or fungus present and recommend management strategies backed up by scientific research.
Arboretum Committee Member
Todd Cournoyer
Head of Landscape
As Head of Grounds, Todd plays a vital role in championing our campus trees. When he's not giving his famous tree walks, Todd is responsible for overseeing the stewardship of the entire campus landscape including construction and digsafe operations. Todd has been a member of the UMass community for over thirty years. Under his leadership, many notable trees have been protected and conserved throughout our campus arboretum.
Arboretum Committee Member
Stella Dee
PhD Candidate in Environmental Conservation
Stella is a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Conservation with a focus in Arboriculture and a research assistant with the Facilities & Campus Services Departments. Stella is responsible for managing the arboretum's GIS tree data layer. In 2022, Stella was awarded a TreeFund Hyland R. Johns Grant to research the mechanical and physiological effects of pruning tree. She is also the 2022 NE-ISA Women's Tree Climbing Champion. In collaboration with Michael Amato, she created the Waugh Arboretum Storymap. On Arbor Day, an annual campus event in April, you may find Stella up a tree demonstrating proper tree climbing techniques to our campus community.
Arboretum Committee Member
Tim Mercer
Campus Nursery Head Grower
As Head Grower for the arboretum, Tim oversees the tree nursery at Tilson Farm Road at the eastern edge of campus. Tim is a passionate horticulturalist who is devoted to native plants, specifically local ecotypes native to the Western Massachusetts region. The annual seedling giveaway of native tree species that occurs in the spring would not be possible without Tim's knowledge and dedication. Under his direction, the nursery has produced thousands of seedlings that have been given away to students, faculty, and community members over the course of the past decade.
Arboretum Committee Member
Joanne Patalano
Website Designer & Editor
Joanne is the web developer for Administration & Finance. She has her M.Ed. from the College of Education at UMass in Learning, Media & Technology.
Arboretum Committee Member
Simon Raine
Senior Planner & University Landscape Architect
Simon Raine is the Senior Planner & University Landscape Architect for UMass Campus Planning. He is responsible for urban design and planning for the UMass 1400-acre campus. Simon is a registered landscape architect and was educated in the United Kingdom, receiving both a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture from Leeds Metropolitan University. He also practiced with the Derek Lovejoy Partnership in London.
Arboretum Committee Member
Tes Siarnacki
Research Assistant
Tes is a Ph.D. student in Environmental Conservation with a focus on urban forestry. She’s also a research assistant with the Facilities & Campus Services Departments, creating management plans for the W. E. B. DuBois Homesite in Great Barrington, MA, and Prexy’s Ridge, the only old growth forest patch in Massachusetts on a university campus.
She is passionate about maintaining native species in the landscape, and is thrilled to help steward the ancient ecological community on Prexy’s Ridge. Her Master’s project combined her teaching background (10 years in Boston Public Schools!) with municipal pruning practices, and now Tes is investigating the growth and ecosystem service provision of urban microforests (Miyawaki forests), which replicate high density natural communities within the developed domain.
She is passionate about maintaining native species in the landscape, and is thrilled to help steward the ancient ecological community on Prexy’s Ridge. Her Master’s project combined her teaching background (10 years in Boston Public Schools!) with municipal pruning practices, and now Tes is investigating the growth and ecosystem service provision of urban microforests (Miyawaki forests), which replicate high density natural communities within the developed domain.
Arboretum Committee Member
Alexander Stepanov
GIS Architect, A&F Administrative Systems
Alexander “Sasha” Stepanov is a GIS Architect for the University's Administration and Finance. Sasha holds a Master of Science in Regional Planning and Ph.D. in Operations Research. He has been working with GIS for over 20 years. Sasha also teaches Spatial Databases and Data Interoperability to UMass graduate students.
Arboretum Committee Member
Madelaine Taft-Ferguson
GIS Analyst
Madelaine is a GIS analyst responsible for maintaining the campus-wide enterprise GIS system that encompasses our tree data and interactive maps. She facilitates the use of geospatial information by a wide variety of campus users, both internal and public.
Arboretum Committee Member
Sean Walker
Grounds Crew Member
Sean is a skilled professional who is always ready to get his hands dirty. Acting as both a member of the arboretum committee and grounds crew, Sean is an invaluable asset to our team. Whether he's operating a tree spade, or overseeing the removal of a hazard tree, Sean has a knack for turning his work into an educational opportunity for students in the landscape contracting associates degree program and wider UMass community.
Arboretum Committee Member
Brady Yacek
Certified Campus Arborist
Brady Yacek is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist (MCA #2337) and an International Society of Arboriculture Arborist (ISA certification #NE-6672A). He is a vital member of the arboretum committee. Brady is responsible for evaluating the health of over 8,000 trees on campus and ensuring they are well cared for. It is also Brady's responsibility to oversee new acquisitions of plant material for class tree plantings and general additions to the arboretum. Brady's research focus is Environmental Science, Forestry and Horticulture.