Assistant Professor of Biology, Defiance College
12 years including years as a student, teaching associate, and instructor.
I grew up in Westlake, Ohio, and graduated from Westlake High School in 1995.
I graduated magna cum laude in 1999 from The Ohio State University with honors in the liberal arts while obtaining a B.S. in Zoology and minors in Plant Biology and History of Art. I also received an M.S. from Ohio State in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology in 2002 and a Ph.D. in 2004.
My research interests lie in plankton and benthic invertebrate ecology, as well as effects of invasive species on communities and ecosystems, causes and consequences of cultural eutrophication, and ecosystem integrity of Lake Erie. My recent research has focused on effects of the Sandusky River system on dissolved oxygen and phytoplankton dynamics in Lake Erie and the potential effect of the Emerald Ash Borer on Lake Erie island forest tree communities.
I enjoy the unique aspect of the student-faculty interaction both inside and outside the classroom. I also enjoy the proximity to Lake Erie, where a lot of examples that I use in my teaching come from and where my area of expertise can greatly help my teaching of the subject matter. Further, I like being out in the field as much as possible, and teaching at a field station allows me to do that.
My non-academic interests include trivia, classic rock, and cheering for the Browns, Indians, Cavs, and Buckeyes.
I just spent two weeks of Christmas break with Defiance College students, faculty, and staff in New Orleans, Louisiana, on a service learning trip dealing with the restoration of wetlands around Lake Pontchartrain. It snowed the day we got there, but it was 80 by the end of the trip!
EEOB 513: Field Ecology
EEOB 503.03: Introduction to Ecology
EEOB 692: Plankton Identification Workshop
