Taylor Bright

Taylor entered the lab as a PhD student in the Population Biology Graduate Group. She earned her BS in Biology from the University of Central Florida where she gained research experience in marine conservation and soil biology. Upon moving to California, Taylor fell in love with fungi and engaged in various non-profit-led research projects. One of which is a three year post-fire microbial ecology study investigating the impacts of microbial inocula on burned soils in urban/wildlife interface zones. She also serves as a field mycologist for the California Fungal Diversity Survey, a state-funded project working to systematically document macrofungal diversity across California. Taylor prioritizes community engagement in the sciences, serving on the North American Mycological Association Conservation and Stewardship Committee and on the board of the Sonoma County Mycological Association. She also educates widely about various topics in mycology and leads fungal ecology walks throughout the Bay Area. Taylor’s research interests include community ecology, biogeography and biogeochemistry. She is developing a dissertation examining how fungal biodiversity is maintained and functions across landscapes, with particular interest in montane wetlands. In her free time she loves to surf, make art, experiment with fermentation, write poetry, and learn everything she can about the living earth!