Research Assistant Professor
College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University
and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science
I am a climate change scientist with a background in terrestrial ecosystem ecology and soil carbon science. I work at the intersection of ecological research and land management. Collaborating with research scientists and natural resource professionals, I investigate how social-ecological factors interact with one another and with environmental changes to drive ecosystem functioning (e.g., carbon and nutrient cycling, biodiversity). I also examine the effects of land management actions (e.g., prescribed fire, forest thinning) on ecosystems. Recognizing rates of climate change and disturbance are high, increasing, and interacting in new ways, I focus on how climate adaptation can support management goals. My research spans multiple systems (forest, savanna, grassland, wetland, agricultural, and urban systems) and scales (lab incubations to greenhouse and field studies to regional and global data syntheses). I am particularly interested in applying sound science to equitable and climate-informed land management policies and practices. Contact me with any thoughts or questions – I love the collaborative nature of science!