Dino Fest 2023–Sold Out

Dr. Randall Irmis 
Dr. Randall Irmis is Curator of Paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and Associate Professor in the Department of Geology & Geophysics, both part of the University of Utah, where he has worked since 2009. Randy’s research asks how animals living on land evolved through deep time, particularly in response to climate change and other global events. Much of this work has focused on the Triassic Period, when the first dinosaurs evolved, including fieldwork in Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Argentina, and Ethiopia.

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Jessica H. Whiteside, Ph.D. (Columbia University 2008). 
Dr. Whiteside is a broadly trained Earth scientist who uses molecular biosignatures entombed in rocks to gain unique and powerful insights into our planet’s dynamic past. She’s especially interested in the interrelationship between the evolution of life and climate, on time frames ranging from 100s of million of years ago to the present, and into our warming future. She has published studies on the mechanisms of major extinctions, the resilience of ecological systems, transitions in microbial communities with changing oxygen conditions in the ancient oceans, the effects of changes in Earth's orbit and carbon cycling on ancient climates, past hydrological regimes, and the role of ancient lake and wetland systems as sinks of carbon dioxide. Her work also includes forays into terrestrial analogues for potential life-favoring environments on ancient Mars.

Michelle Barboza-Ramirez (they/them)

Michelle is a queer latinx naturalist and geoscience educator born and raised in Los Angeles county. In their work life, they teach people about rocks and fossils and plants and stuff… and in their off time they totally do that too. Michelle’s past projects include working in the education departments of the National Park Service and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles to expand community connections with urban nature and advocate for outdoor equity in LA. Currently, Michelle splits their time between working in higher ed and filming videos with PBS Eons. In their infinite free time, Michelle can be found hiking and birding their way through the western US.

Website: www.pbs.org/show/eons/

Luis M. Chiappe, Senior VP, Research & Collections and Gretchen Augustyn Director, Dinosaur Institute

Dr. Chiappe oversees the research programs of more than 25 PhD scientists and the vast collections of NHMLAC. A vertebrate paleontologist and the Gretchen Augustyn Director of the Dinosaur Institute, he has conducted extensive research on the evolution of dinosaurs, particularly on their evolutionary connection with birds. Dr. Chiappe’s research has been published in nearly 200 scholarly articles, he’s also the author of Walking on Eggs, Glorified Dinosaurs, and Birds of Stone. He is a J. S. Guggenheim Fellow, a Humboldt Awardee, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and an Adjunct Professor at USC.

Erika Durazo, Senior Preparator for the Dinosaur Institute

As a preparator, Mrs. Durazo conserves Mesozoic fossils and participates in fieldwork. She enjoys sharing her expertise with volunteers, students, and the general public. As one of the first students to participate in an NSF funded internship called Proyecto Dinosaurios, she is passionate about mentoring future students within the program.