Melissa Schaar is the Associate Director of Research and Investigations for the USGS Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center located in Helena, Montana. She manages a multi-disciplinary team of microbiologists, ecologists, physical scientists, geologists, and hydrologists. Melissa is the project manager of several scientific investigations that explore the effects of mining on water quality and ecosystems with special experience working in high profile international transboundary watersheds. Melissa has over twenty years of experience working in private industry and government in the fields of hydrology, hydrogeology, geochemistry, engineering, water use, water quality, and policy.
Archives: Members
Cory Sandow
Cory joined the Bureau Reclamation from Idaho DEQ where he served as a Senior Water Quality Scientist within the Technical Services Division of the Agency. In that role he developed TMDLs for water quality impairments such as temperature, sedimentation, and bacteria. He also led and participated in collaborative efforts for special reports and projects such as wilderness temperature analysis, project data quality assurance and control, aquatic invasive species, and stream and river temperature modeling in support of the DEQ state and regional offices. Prior to that he worked in private industry leading and participating in water quality investigations in support of mining development and NEPA documentation from South America to Alaska. He looks forward to capitalizing on his experience and helping promote the mission of BOR.
Chris Savage
Peter Brumm
Peter Brumm is a hydrologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency based in Helena, Montana. He works with states, Tribes, and other partners to implement the Clean Water Act in his roles as the USEPA Region 8 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) coordinator and Columbia River Basin Restoration Program coordinator. Peter graduated from the University of Montana College of Forestry and enjoys recreating on and in Montana’s bountiful water resources when not in the office.
Martin Charlo
Sara Edinberg
Sara Edinberg is an Assistant Research Hydrogeologist with the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG), working on statewide aquifer mapping and assessments as part of the MBMG’s Ground Water Assessment Program. Sara has a B.S. in Geology from Colorado State University and an M.S. in Hydrogeology from Montana Tech. Her research interests include groundwater geochemistry as a tracer for aquifer recharge sources, groundwater-surface water interaction, and acid rock drainage chemistry, which was the focus of her master’s thesis. In her spare time, Sara enjoys cooking, hiking, and skiing with her dog, Betsy.
Dr. Jim Elser
James Elser is Bierman Professor of Ecology at the University of Montana and since March 2016 has been Director of UM’s Flathead Lake Biological Station at Yellow Bay. He also holds a part-time research faculty position in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University where he directs the Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance. Trained as a limnologist, Dr. Elser is best known for his work in developing and testing the theory of ecological stoichiometry, the study of the balance of energy and multiple chemical elements in ecological systems, and for his work on phosphorus sustainability. Currently, Dr. Elser’s research focuses most intensively on Flathead Lake as well as mountain lakes of western Montana. Specific studies involve observational and experimental studies at various scales, including laboratory cultures, short-term field experiments, and sustained whole-ecosystem manipulations. Previous field sites have included the Experimental Lakes Area in Ontario, Canada; lakes of the Arctic and of Patagonia; lakes, forests, and grasslands of the upper Midwest; and desert springs in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert. In recognition of his research accomplishments, Dr. Elser was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2019. He has also been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2012, he received the G.E. Hutchinson Award from the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), the world’s largest scientific association dedicated to aquatic sciences. During 2014-2016, he served as ASLO’s President. Dr. Elser holds a PhD from the University of California (Davis), an MS degree from the University of Tennessee, and a BS degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Galen Steffens
Galen Steffens returned to the Department of Commerce as the Community MT Division Administrator after serving as the Water Quality Planning Bureau Chief at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Prior to her time at DEQ, Galen was the Community Planning Program Manager at the Department of Commerce and previously worked as a city planner for the City of Great Falls. Galen grew up on a farm in Colorado and has lived in Montana for the past 20 years. She is a graduate of the University of Montana and is an avid backpacker and general all-around lover of the outdoors. Galen is passionate about making a difference in the state in which she lives, works, and recreates. Galen lives in Helena with her two children, husband, and dog.
Tom Martin
Tom is the Environmental Services Bureau Chief at Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). A proud graduate of Montana State University, he has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He has been part of the MDT team helping deliver infrastructure projects for the past 30 years. Tom has held various engineering positions at MDT including those within the geotechnical, bridge, and consultant design bureaus. In his free time, Tom can be found perfecting the art of building longbows and spending time with his family outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking. Tom’s favorite place to be is on or around the lakes, rivers, and creeks in Montana.
Tom Woolf
Tom Woolf has been working on aquatic invasive species issues for over twenty years in Colorado, Minnesota, Idaho, and Montana. In 2017, he started as the AIS Bureau Chief for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks where he currently coordinates and manages the Aquatic Invasive Program. Tom served on the Upper Columbia Conservation Commission for 6 years and as Vice Chair of the Commission from 2018 to 2023.