Max Robert Louis Piana

Max is the Deborah Rose Visiting Lecturer in Plant Science and Forest Ecology. He is an ecologist specializing in urban ecosystems and applied research. Max maintains a research program with the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station that aims to advance evidence- and community-based strategies for natural resource and green infrastructure planning, design, and management in cities. Specific research topics include urban and climate adaptative responses in plant populations and communities, forest assisted migration in large forest parks, urban restoration techniques, green infrastructure performance, global urban biodiversity trends, and community-based science and workforce training in underserved neighborhoods. Max is Co-Lead of the Urban Silviculture Network, an international network of urban forest ecologists and practitioners that is advancing methods in forest mapping, inventory, and management. He is also a Team Lead for the Updated Silvics of North America (USNAP), a collaborative effort by the US Forest Service, Canadian Forest Service, and the National Forestry Commission of Mexico to produce a comprehensive reference for tree species of the continent. Max has served as an advisor to municipal planning efforts, such as Philadelphia’s “Philly Tree Plan” and city-wide natural area inventory initiatives. His research has been published widely and recognized with numerous grants and awards, including the US Forest Service Chief’s Award for his work in community-based restoration at the Stillmeadow PeacePark.

Max holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University, a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Psychology from Wesleyan University, where he was a Henry David Thoreau Scholar. He was previously a member of the Research Group at Kieran Timberlake and the Forest Steward at the Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center. Max is a member of the Society for Ecological Restoration, the Ecological Society of America, and the Society of American Foresters.