I was born in Chicago, IL and grew up in Kalamazoo, MI (yes, there really IS a Kalamazoo). Since then I have lived in Western PA, Buffalo, NY, Washington D.C., St. Louis, MO, and currently live in Florence, SC.

I am an evolutionary biologist and teach non-major courses and introductory biology courses for majors and associated labs. I have also taught a joint undergraduate/graduate course in population biology. For more information on my courses at FMU, check out my teaching page.

My research interests are diverse. Generally I am interested in trait evolution, but “trait” can be broadly defined, like what organisms look like (morphology), what biological processes they have (physiology), or how they behave. I enjoy birds, and much of my research focuses on them and what diseases they may have. My research also involves field and lab work, combining research excursions to record behaviors and collect samples with genetic and computational techniques. For more information, check out my research page.

I have many hobbies and interests. First is travel, travel, TRAVEL!  I have been fortunate to have visited 42 states, 13 Canadian provinces, England, Scotland, Holland, Germany, France, Belgium, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Barbados, Antigua, Aruba, Ecuador including Galapagos (the first time during a January term travel course), and China. I also LOVE photography, cooking (and eating!), camping, hiking, biking, swimming and SCUBA diving, collecting National Geographic magazines, gardening, and singing (I was a double major in music and have sung since I was in grade school performing for several years with the Washington Choral Arts Society in Washington D.C.). When people tell you to “find what you love”, know that it can be more than one thing!