PhD Ecology 2013 University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN

Research: The goal of my research is to determine how plant generations grown on oilfield reclamation sites change over time. Are different traits favored ln oil reclamation sites compared to the propagation gardens where the restoration seed was produced? Do soil conditions at the reclamation sites exert selection and alter plant traits? Seeds of slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus) were collected from eight oilfield reclamation sites in North Dakota and from the original seed source. I have been growing these populations in the greenhouse and field to test for differences in seed germinability, flowers production, pollen viability, fecundity and growth. Plant responses to salt and compaction treatments will also be quantified in a field pot experiment.

Current position: Assistant Professor of Teaching, University of Minnesota Duluth

PhD Plant Biology 2012 University of Massachusetts Amherst MA

Research: I am broadly interested in botany, field ecology, and plant-insect interactions. Recently, I have been most intrigued by how some insects that interact with plants alter subsequent plant-insect interactions, and the consequences these interactions have on plant fitness. I am intrinsically fascinated by floral defenses, conditional mutualisms (and conditional antagonisms), geographic mosaics, and top-down vs. bottom-up effects.

Current position: Associate Professor, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill, NC