About Emily Coffey holds a DPhil (PhD) from the University of Oxford, having studied as a member of the Long-Term Ecology Laboratory and the Biodiversity Institute Oxford. Her research included determination of baseline ecological conditions in the humid highlands of Galapagos.  She also received her MSc (Master of Science) from the University of Oxford in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management during which she examined the impacts of recreational trampling on rare limestone glade vegetation in southeastern Missouri. She received her BS in Biology and Chemistry and Certificate in Conservation Biology, from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. Prior to her time at Oxford, Emily, performed research on a number of conservation projects, including rare plant monitoring and ecology for the Missouri Botanical Garden and Shaw Nature Reserve. Most recently she has taught and led research at the University of North Carolina Asheville (UNCA) in the Biology Department. Her research at UNCA has included examination of historical fire regime patterns, modern day biodiversity of testate amoeba, and long-term changes in the vegetative community across the Appalachian Mountain bog/fen habitats in Western North Carolin