Dr. Justin Luong is a USDA Postdoctoral Fellow working with Dr. Jennifer Funk to study the mechanisms driving secondary invasion in rangelands. Justin is exploring the mechanisms driving secondary invasion and how these mechanisms can be utilized to facilitate desirable species for rangelands and ecological restoration. Justin is a restoration ecologist with a specialized background in ecophysiology, plant responses to climate change, functional traits, phylogenetics and working directly with land managers. Justin earned his B.S. in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Barbara where he then worked as a restoration practitioner at the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration before pursuing his PhD at UC Santa Cruz with Drs. Michael Loik and Karen Holl. Justin has a strong commitment to diversity and equity and works to broaden participation in plant sciences though mentoring undergraduate and high school students.