My research group pursues science motivated by a fundamental curiosity about how ecological systems operate and the pressing need to solve global environmental challenges. Though I am primarily an empirical ecologist, the approaches taken in our group often have population models at their core, allowing rigorous links between theoretical concepts and the dynamics of field systems. Two central problems guide current research. From a more applied perspective, our group is addressing the timescales of changing species interactions under warming climate, information critical for predicting how ecological systems respond to climate on time horizons relevant to today’s society. From a fundamental science perspective, our group is exploring the relationship between the maintenance of species diversity and its three primary dimensions- space, time, and interaction complexity. When addressing these problems, we are increasingly uncovering the role of contemporary evolution in shaping ecological dynamics, helping facilitate greater synthesis between disciplines.
Awards and Achievements
- Young Investigators Prize- the American Society of Naturalists ( 2003)
- George Mercer Younger Investigator Award from the Ecological Society of America ( 2002)