• PhD, University of Virginia (Environmental Sciences)
• MS, Ohio University (Environmental Studies)
• BA, Augustana College (Geography and German)

• GEOG 110 Regional Geography of the Pacific Rim
• GEOG 250 Physical Geography
• GEOG 350 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• GEOG 400 Advanced GIS
• GEOG 440 Biogeography
• Natural History of Orange County (LC)
• Natural History of the Desert (LC)
• Data Analysis and Visualization (LC)
• BIO 110 Nature and Humanity
• CORE 200 Enduring Questions
• INQ 100 Modes of Inquiry

• Ecology of the boreal forest of Interior Alaska (succession, fire, climate change)
• Changes in area burned and ignitions in Interior Alaska
• Dynamic vegetation modeling in Alaska and the Yukon

• Schmidt, J.I.; R. Ziel; M. Calef; and A. Varvak. 2023. Spatial distribution of wildfire threat in the far North: exposure assessment in boreal communities. Natural Hazards NHAZ-D-23-00815R1. https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-2949561/v1
• Calef, M.P, J.I. Schmidt, A. Varvak, and R. Ziel. Predicting the unpredictable: predicting landcover in boreal Alaska and the Yukon including succession and wildfire potential. 2023. Forests 14(8), 1577. DOI: 10.3390/f14081577. https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/8/1577
• Calef, Monika P., Anna Varvak, and A. David McGuire. “Differences in Human versus Lightning Fires between Urban and Rural Areas of the Boreal Forest in Interior Alaska.” Forests 8, no. 11 (November 2017): 1-15.
• Calef, M. P., A. Varvak, A. D. McGuire, F. S. Chapin, and K. B. Reinhold. “Recent Changes in Annual Area Burned in Interior Alaska: The Impact of Fire Management.” Earth Interactions 19, no. 5 (May 2015): 1–17.
• Kasischke, E.S., D. Verbyla, T.S. Rupp, A.D. McGuire, K.A. Murphy, J.L. Allen, E.E. Hoy, R. Jandt, P. Duffy, M. Calef, and M.R. Turetsky (2010). Alaska’s changing fire regime – Implications for the vulnerability of its boreal forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 40:1313-1324. doi:10.1139/X10-098.
• Calef, M.P. (2010). Climate Change impacts on the boreal forest of Alaska. Geography Compass 4(2):67-80. DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-8198.2010.00310.x
• Trainor, S.F., M. Calef, D. Natcher, F.S. Chapin, A.D. McGuire, O. Huntington, P. Duffy, T.S. Rupp, L. DeWilde, M. Kwart, N. Fresco, and A.L. Lovecraft (2009). Vulnerability and adaptation to climate-related fire impacts in rural and urban interior Alaska. Polar Research 28:100-118 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-8369.2009.00101.x.
• Calef, M.P., A.D. McGuire, and F.S. Chapin III (2008). Human influences on wildfire in Alaska from 1988 through 2005: An analysis of the spatial patterns of human impacts. Earth Interactions 12(1):1-17. DOI: 10.1175/2007EI220.1.
• Chapin, F.S. III, S.F. Trainor, O. Huntington, A.L. Lovecraft, E. Zavaleta, D.C. Natcher, A.D. McGuire, J. Nelson, L. Ray, M. Calef, N. Fresco, H. Huntington, T.S. Rupp, L. DeWilde, and R.A. Naylor (2008). Increasing wildfire in the boreal forest: causes, consequences, and pathways to potential solutions of a wicked problem. Bioscience 58(6):531-540.
• McGuire, A.D., J. Walsh, J. Kimball, J. Clein, S. Euskirchen, S. Drobot, U. Herzfeld, J. Maslanik, R. Lammers, M. Rawlins, C. Vorosmarty, T. Rupp, W. Wu, and M. Calef (2008). The Western Arctic Linkage Experiment (WALE): Overview and synthesis. Earth Interactions DOI: 10.1175/2008EI239.1.
• Lapenis, A.G., G. B. Lawrence, S. Baily, B. Aparin, A. Shiklomanov, N. Speranskaya, M.S. Torn, and M. Calef (2008). Climatically driven loss of calcium in steppe soil as a sink for atmospheric carbon. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. doi:10.1029/2007GB003077.
• Clein, J.S., A.D. McGuire, E.S. Euskirchen, and M. Calef. (2007) The effects of different climate input data sets on simulated carbon dynamics in the Western Arctic. Earth Interactions 11 (paper 12) DOI: 10.1175/EI229.1.
• Natcher, D. C., M. Calef, O. Huntington, S. Trainor, H. Huntington, L. DeWilde, S. Rupp, and F. S. Chapin III. 2007. Factors contributing to the cultural and spatial variability of landscape burning by Native Peoples of Interior Alaska. Ecology and Society, Special Issue: Crossing Scales and Disciplines to Achieve Forest Sustainability 12(1): 7.
• Calef, M.P., A.D. McGuire, T.S. Rupp, H.E. Epstein, and H.H. Shugart. 2005. Analysis of vegetation distribution in Interior Alaska and sensitivity to climate change using a --logistic regression approach. Journal of Biogeography 32:863-878.

• 2016-2019, 2022-2025, Director of Environmental Studies Concentrations, Soka University of America
• 2016-present Associate Professor, Soka University of America
• 2010-2016 Assistant Professor, Soka University of America
• 2005-2010, Assistant Professor, University at Albany, SUNY
• 2003-2005, Postdoc, University of Alaska Fairbanks
• 2001-2003, Research Assistant, University of Alaska Fairbanks
• 1998-2001, Teaching /Research Assistant, University of Virginia
• 1994-1998, Public Services Associate, Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development (ILGARD)

Dr. Nuala Gann-Drescher Award, 2010