Dustin Lower

Dustin is a PhD student in the Soils and Biogeochemistry Graduate Group and NSF GRFP Fellow. He began his work in the Bogar lab as an undergraduate Plant Biology major with dreams of becoming a mycologist. After his family was impacted by the Caldor Fire in 2021, he was inspired to tie wildfire ecology in with his mycology research. He is currently researching the impacts of wildfire on soil fungal communities with an emphasis on ectomycorrhizal fungi in burned soils, and their effects on seedling performance. In 2025, he was awarded a grant from CALFIRE’s Forest Health Research Program to investigate how soil fungal communities affect post-fire reforestation success. His project uses soil microbiome transplants—taking live, unburned soil from nearby forested areas to inoculate seedlings outplanted into high-severity burn scars. By combining greenhouse trials, soil science, community ecology, field restoration, and multi-omics analyses, the study aims to identify key microbial functions and taxa that promote drought tolerance and seedling survival in fire-impacted landscapes. In his spare time, Dustin enjoys anything outdoor related, gardening, spending time with family and friends, reading, art, wine tasting, sports, and petting cute doggos.