My educational background involved a shift from biochemistry and molecular biology to zoology and ecology. This varied experience in the life sciences has made me a very well rounded biologist who looks at problems from both the holistic and reductionistic perspectives. My research interests are the interfaces between population ecology, animal behavior and community ecology of amphibians in wetland ecosystems. This primarily includes studying the effects of environmental chemistry, micro habitat choice, foraging, predator avoidance, aggression, and overall activity on population dynamics, community structure and biogeography. I have found that this versatility has enhanced my ability to teach at the introductory level and fueled my desire to teach new courses.
Research is an essential part of academic life, especially in the sciences.
I find that the small college environment is conducive for conducting the long term studies that are necessary in population biology research. I've found that inexperienced undergraduates can easily be trained to work in teams and collect data in population biology projects, while upperclassmen who have had more courses including statistics and computers can be involved in data analysis and further experimentation. Some of my undergraduate students have done research with me for 3-4 years and have presented our findings at several scholarly meetings and are publishing our results. Correlations between climate and the herpetofauna of Michigan. Presented an overview of the status, distribution and conservation of Indiana s salamanders to wildlife biologists of the Indian Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks and Reservoirs.