Fostering land stewardship and conservation in the American West
through teaching, research, outreach and leadership.
program impacts 2021
Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative (UHPSI) within the Yale School of the Environment focuses on stewardship and conservation in the American West. At its core, UHPSI seeks to engage in teaching, research, and outreach on land stewardship, primarily through mentoring students on applied research and management projects with western partners.
OUR TEAM

Indy Burke, PhD
Faculty Director
Ingrid C. “Indy” Burke is the Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Dean at the Yale School of the Environment (YSE), an internationally recognized professional school that trains tomorrow’s environmental leaders and creates new knowledge to sustain and restore the long-term health of the planet and the wellbeing of its people.

Michelle Downey, MS
Program Director
Michelle worked on range and wildlife issues on public and private lands throughout the West for 8 years. As Program Director, she connects students to projects throughout the West, assists students in developing deliverables for western partners, and conducts research to address land management issues.

Current Students
Current UHPSI Students
Click here to learn more about our amazing graduate students currently working on UHPSI projects.