College of Humanities and Sciences

Can you tell us a little about your educational journey?

I did my undergraduate studies at Western Carolina University. Mostly because I wanted to live in the mountains and be outside. There I got a B.A. in English and a minor in film studies. Following graduation though, I was unsure of what I wanted to do. For a time, I worked in a group home for at-risk teenagers before transitioning to a position leading outdoor leadership and experiential opportunities for the same population. 

In 2009 I went back to school for a post-baccalaureate certificate program in environmental studies at the University of North Carolina Asheville, but left that program early in 2010 for graduate school at the University of Virginia where I studied environmental sciences and ecology. My graduate research focused on watershed biogeochemistry, specifically how water and carbon move through complex, mountainous watersheds in the mid-Appalachia region of West Virginia. 

After receiving my doctorate in 2016, I took a postdoctoral appointment in VCU’s Department of Biology where I worked on forest structural diversity and terrestrial lidar. In 2021, I took a position with the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station as a research biologist working on forest structure, forest disturbance, and applied remote sensing for forestry applications.

When did you first fall in love with your field of study? What made you decide to work in academia?

I have always had a deep love of the outdoors and nature and wanted to pursue a career helping to preserve those places while also seeking to understand them better.

Can you explain the focus of your research?

My research focuses on how the physical and spatial structure of ecosystems shapes the movement of energy and matter across scales, from individual plots to entire landscapes. I use an integrative, systems-based approach to research that combines modeling, remote sensing, field measurements, manipulative experiments, and long-term datasets. 

Beyond research, I build open-source tools for the scientific community (e.g., R packages, dashboards, datasets), engage with stakeholders and policymakers, and foster collaboration across disciplines and international borders. I believe the most pressing questions in ecosystem science require moving beyond disciplinary boundaries, and that scientific insight must ultimately inform land management and policy decisions.

Can you talk a little about your teaching philosophy? What do you most like about teaching?

I design courses as integrated learning experiences where lectures, assignments, laboratory work, and readings function synergistically to build both content mastery and skills transferable outside the classroom. Project-based learning is central to my pedagogical approach, as it engages students with complex, authentic problems that require both inductive and deductive reasoning. 

Beyond that, I think it is crucial to understand each student is a unique learner and that above all else, creating a safe and welcoming classroom environment is important.

What attracted you to VCU? What are you most excited about in regards to VCU and Richmond?

The VCU community at large, but specifically in SLSS, is a tremendous draw. We have some of the best students around, and I really enjoy working with my colleagues. I am excited to build a life here and to contribute to the community.

Can you tell us either a quirky fact about yourself or some of your hobbies?

I have two kids, 15 and 19. We enjoy being outdoors, watching movies, playing video games, and weightlifting. My partner and I enjoy hiking, biking, traveling, and going to see live music — the louder, noisier, and weirder, the better! I have a three-legged dog named June and a black cat named Frank. I am a lifelong Red Sox fan, an Eagle scout, kind of decent at guitar, and I really enjoy the work I do.