About
I completed my B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and my Ph.D. in Aquatic Ecology at Wayne State University. Before joining EEB in 2020, I was an assistant professor of biology at Madonna University. I have also served as a postdoctoral scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey (Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor), volunteer scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, Ann Arbor), and an adjunct professor of biology at Bellarmine University (Louisville, KY). I am a strong advocate of student research, experiential learning, and community outreach.
Fields of study
Aquatic ecology, animal diversity, environmental health
Teaching
I teach BIO 173 Introduction to Biology Lab, which is a one-term project-based laboratory course that, together with BIOLOGY 171 and 172, collectively forms the introductory biology sequence. It is intended for majors in biology, other science programs, or pre-professional studies.
I also teach EEB/ENVIRON 372 Ecology Lab which contains lab activities that include a variety of ecological practices, field experiments, hypothesis testing, statistical analyses, and written/oral communication. This course also satisfied the Upper Level Writing Requirement.
Research and teaching interests
Ensuring environmental literacy in the next generation of students cannot be overstated, as environmental issues rooted in basic biological science will continue to impact ecological systems and human health. Therefore, it is of great importance to instill the necessary skills in students to clearly comprehend and communicate environmental issues, because many will become influential public voices in the near future. From my teaching and research experiences, I recognize that undergraduate research and applied learning is an integral component to advanced education and scholarship. As a lecturer in project-based laboratory courses, I couple classroom concepts with laboratory and field-based research projects so that students will develop a deeper appreciation for biology. My specific research interests focus primarily in the development and application of bioassessment and molecular tools to evaluate the health of environmental systems, and ecological risk assessment.
