Assistant Research Professor of Biology
Courses Taught
Current Research
I am an ecologist broadly interested in the dynamics of major shifts in ecological communities, particularly in the context of anthropogenic influences on natural systems. Because ecological communities are fundamentally complex systems, to understand their dynamics I use a combination of observational studies, manipulative experiments, and theory development, which I synthesize through computational models of those systems. I believe that integrating empirical and theoretical methods is the best way to make progress in understanding complex systems because it provides the opportunity to understand the network of interconnected processes that control real ecosystems and evaluate the emergent properties of systems as a whole. I have conducted research in a number of systems from coral reefs to temperate lakes and midwestern agroecosystems and on a variety of basic and applied questions, check out my research projects to see the major things I’m working on.