Max got his PhD in biogeography in 1999, has been a statewide wildfire specialist with UC Cooperative Extension since 2004, and is an adjunct professor at the Bren School at UCSB. Much of his research is on the dynamics and effects of fire regimes at relatively broad scales, including drivers of fire hazard, projections of climate change effects, and home loss studies. Through his extension activities, Max aims to apply scientific information for sustainable planning and management decisions on fire-prone landscapes.