Director, U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office,

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Dr. Gyami Shrestha, has been directing the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office activities since 2011. The Program's domestic and international portfolio helps to catalyze coordinated scientific advances and U.S. government strategies in collaboration with the science community, including the North American Carbon Program (NACP) and the Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program (OCB). Interfacing with global scientists, funders and stakeholders, Dr. Shrestha supports, leads, conceptualizes and executes, multi-agency coordination activities, interagency funding, partnerships, communication, research, assessments, public engagement, digital information and social media activities on carbon, climate change and pertinent environmental themes across land, air, ocean and societal interfaces. She co-led the development of the first Interagency Carbon Dioxide Removal Coordination (I-CDR-C) work group; and the Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2), a decadal U.S. government,  North America-wide USGCRP special sustained climate assessment report, with over 200 scientists. Prior to joining the Program, she spent a decade on research, management and consulting in academia and non-profit organizations, such as the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS), University of California Merced and International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Gyami holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Systems (incl. Air Quality and Health Training Certificate) from the University of California Merced, a double M.S. in Soil Science & Water Resources with Restoration Ecology Certificate from the University of Wyoming, and a B.Sc. (Honors) in Environmental Sciences (Natural Resources Management focus) from Kathmandu University, in addition to recent professional certificates in senior executive management, leadership and sustainability from Harvard University, Georgetown University and the Asian American Government Executives Network.

 Selected PUBLICATIONS

• Tilmes S., Smith A., Lawrence P., Barnes T., Gadikota G., Grabowski W., MacMartin D.G.,Medeiros B., Morrison M., Prein A., Rasmussen R., Rosenlof K., Rothman D.S., Seimon A., Shrestha G. , Stephens, B. 2021. Developing a framework for an interdisciplinary and international climate intervention strategies research program. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.  https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/aop/BAMS-D-21-0053.1/BAMS-D-21-0053.1.xml.  
• Uhran, B., Zhu, Z., Windham-Myers, L., Sleeter, B., Cavallaro, N., Kroeger, K.D. and Shrestha, G. 2021. Wetland Carbon in the United States. In Wetland Carbon and Environmental Management (eds K.W. Krauss, Z. Zhu and C.L. Stagg). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119639305.ch2.
• USGCRP, 2018: Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report. [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, P. Romero-Lankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 878 pp., doi: 10.7930/SOCCR2.2018

• Shrestha, G., N. Cavallaro, L. Lorenzoni, A. Seadler, Z. Zhu, N. P. Gurwick, E. Larson, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, and P. Romero-Lankao, 2018: Highlights. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report. [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, P. Romero-Lankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.7930/SOCCR2.2018.Highlights
• Birdsey, R., M. A. Mayes, P. Romero-Lankao, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, N. Cavallaro, G. Shrestha, D. J. Hayes, L. Lorenzoni, A. Marsh, K. Tedesco, T. Wirth, and Z. Zhu, 2018: Executive summary. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report. [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, P. Romero-Lankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 21-40, doi: 10.7930/SOCCR2.2018.ES
• Hristov, A. N., J. M. F. Johnson, C. W. Rice, M. E. Brown, R. T. Conant, S. J. Del Grosso, N. P. Gurwick, C. A. Rotz, U. M. Sainju, R. H. Skinner, T. O. West, B. R. K. Runkle, H. Janzen, S. C. Reed, N. Cavallaro, and G. Shrestha, 2018: Chapter 5: Agriculture. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report. [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, P. Romero-Lankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 229-263, doi: 10.7930/SOCCR2.2018.Ch5
• Shrestha, G., 2018: Appendix A. Report development process. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report. [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, P. Romero-Lankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 810-817, doi: 10.7930/SOCCR2.2018.AppA
• Shrestha, G., 2018: Appendix B. Information Quality in the assessment. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report. [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, P. Romero-Lankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 818-820, doi: 10.7930/SOCCR2.2018.AppB
• Birdsey, R., N. P. Gurwick, K. R. Gurney, G. Shrestha, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, and P. Romero-Lankao, 2018: Appendix D. Carbon measurement approaches and accounting frameworks. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report. [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, P. Romero-Lankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 834-838, doi: 10.7930/SOCCR2.2018.AppD
• Tzortziou, M., M. Litvak, and G. Shrestha. 2017. Coordinating and communicating carbon cycle research, Eos, 98, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017EO080201.
• Jones CD, Ciais P, Davis SJ, Friedlingstein, Gasser T, Peter GP, Rogelj J, van Vuuren D P,Canadell J G, Cowie A, Jackson R B, Jonas M, Kriegler E, Littleton E, Lowe J A, Milne J, Shrestha G, Smith P Torvanger A and Wiltshire A. 2016. Simulating the Earth system response to negative emissions. Environmental Research Letters 11 (9), 095012
• Xiao, J., Y. Luo, and G. Shrestha. 2016. Improving carbon cycle projections for better carbon management, Eos, 97,doi:https://10.1029/2016EO062341.
• Smith, P.....,.....,Shrestha, G., ..... et al. 2016. Biophysical and economic limits to negative CO₂ emissions. Nature Climate Change 6, 42–5
• Vargas, R., S. Alin, and G. Shrestha. 2015. Integrating carbon cycle research into decision-making processes, Eos, 96, doi:10.1029/2015EO037893
• Cooley, S.R., E.B. Jewett, J. Reichert, L. Robbins, G. Shrestha, D. Wieczorek, and S.B. Weisberg. 2015. Getting ocean acidification on decision makers’ to-do lists: Dissecting the process through case studies. Oceanography 28(2):198–211, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2015.42
• Patricia Romero-Lankao, Kevin Gurney , Karen Seto , Mikhail Chester , Riley Duren , Sara Hughes , Lucy Hutyra , Peter Marcotulio, Lawrence Baker, Nancy Grimm, Christopher A. Kennedy, Elisabeth Larson, Stephanie Pincetl, Daniel Runfola, Landy Sanchez Peña, Gyami Shrestha, Andrea Sarzynski, Johannes J. Feddema, Joshua Sperling, and Eleanor Stokes. 2014. A critical knowledge pathway to low‐carbon, sustainable futures: integrated understanding of urbanization, urban areas and carbon. Earth’s Future
• Lucy R. Hutyra, Riley Duren, Kevin R. Gurney, Nancy Grimm, Eric A. Kort, Elisabeth Larson, Gyami Shrestha. 2014.  Urbanization and the carbon cycle: Current capabilities and research outlook from the natural sciences perspective. Earth’s Future
• Michalak, A., D. Huntzinger, and G. Shrestha. 2013. Progress and Future Directions in North American Carbon Cycle Science, Eos Trans. AGU, 94(20), 184
• Shrestha, G., Traina, S.J. & Swanston, C.W. 2010. Black Carbon's Properties and Role in the Environment: A Comprehensive Review. Sustainability 2, (1), 294-320
• Shrestha G., Behre-Asefaw A., Swanston C. and Traina S.J. 2009. Prescribed fires in California: black carbon effect. In 1^st North American Biochar Conference Proceedings, Boulder (paper, talk & panelist).
• Shrestha, G. & Stahl, P.D. 2008. Carbon accumulation & storage in semi-arid sagebrush steppe: Effects of long-term grazing exclusion. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 125, pp 173-181. PDF
• Shrestha G. et al. 2006. Soil carbon & microbial biomass carbon after 40 Years of grazing exclusion in semi-arid sagebrush grasslands of Wyoming, In C. Waser, ed. Arid Lands Newsletter Vol. 58. Office of Arid Lands Studies. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
• Shrestha G., Stahl P.D., & Ingram L. 2005. Influence of reclamation management practices on soil bulk density & infiltration rates on surface coalmine lands in Wyoming, In R. Barnhisel, ed. Raising Reclamation to New Heights: 22nd National American Society of Mining & Reclamation Symposium Annual Meetings, Breckenridge, CO
• Shrestha G., Shrestha S.R., & Shrestha G.R. 2004. Household energy for rural women in Nepal: reality & potential, In A. A. M. Sayigh, ed. Proceedings of the 8th World Renewable Energy Congress (WREC VIII) CD-ROM. Elsevier Science. (Invited)
• In prep. Prescribed fires in California: coverage, emissions & policies