He is an amature astronomer, a sea kayaker, and enjoys mountain climbing. My research interests are focused on systematics of taxa forming clusters of endemics on disjunct, island-like terrains. Mountaintops are one situation where these conditions exist. My primary research project is a study of the systematics of the genus Draba . Draba is rich in endemic taxa in the Sierra Nevada, the Klamath Range, and the Cascades.
Many species only occur in the highest alpine zones.
A few species are restricted to one or a very few of the highest peaks. Yet other species, though restricted to the alpine zone, are widespread in Western North America. My research on Draba is an analysis of morphological and molecular variation, within and among isolated populations, of both the widespread and the restricted taxa. The purpose of this research is to look for early stages in the formation of endemic species. Another goal of the Draba project is to reveal the phylogenetic relationships among species, and among distinct populations in some of the geographically restricted species, such as those occurring in the Cascades.