Last week, the Forest Service lost a brilliant scientist, influential leader and dear colleague, Teresa Hollingsworth.

Teresa began her Forest Service career in 2002 at the Pacific Northwest Research Station as an ecologist trainee, but that was not the beginning of her interest in science. Her curiosity was sparked as a child while exploring the Colorado Rockies and continued to be nurtured as a student at the University of Colorado. Her passion for science took her to Lancaster, England, for a Master of Biological Sciences and then to the University of Alaska for her Ph.D. in Biology.

Teresa spent most of her career working in Alaska, but her impact reached far beyond the northern borders. Teresa not only advanced knowledge in the field of ecology, she also inspired the next generation of conservation leaders. She impacted the lives of numerous youth in the care of the state of Alaska through grants to expand access to science for young people. She also served as a mentor to many early career scientists and inspired countless others through her passion and her work.

She was an esteemed leader in the field of boreal ecology. For nearly two decades, Teresa served as an educator at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and as a valued scientist in Forest Service Research and Development. While much of her career was with the Pacific Northwest Research Station, for the last four years, she was a program manager with the Rocky Mountain Research Station and served as director of the interagency Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute.

Teresa was passionate about providing science and building relationships to steward the nation’s wilderness. She was equally dedicated to serving all her team members, helping inspire their best ideas while offering support and friendship. As evidenced by nearly 5,000 citations and a very high Google Scholar h-index, representing her productivity and impact, and as a representative to numerous boards and committees, Teresa was not only deeply respected, but also incredibly productive.  

Teresa leaves behind her loving husband, her son and a tremendous legacy. She will be deeply missed. The world is a better place because she was in it.

You can read the loving tribute written by her family on her memorial webpage.