Hello! I’m an ecologist, writer, and educator. As a scientist, I use the techniques of historical ecology to find out how and why species distributions and ecological communities have been changing over time. As a writer, I am seeking to understand how we as humans can fit into our ecological time and place. I live and work in the landscape of northeast Ohio, where I am Professor of Biology at Baldwin Wallace University.

• B.S., College of William and Mary, Biology & English
• Ph.D., Cornell University, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• Postdoc, McGill University, NSF International Fellow

My academic family tree traces back to Henry Oosting, who studied ecological succession in old fields, and Henry Cowles, who pioneered the study of ecological succession. Working in this tradition, I have long been interested in how species respond to disturbances and how ecological communities recover from human impacts.

Historical ecology uses evidence from tree rings, land surveys, eyewitness accounts, legacy data, aerial photographs, pollen, herbarium specimens, and more to understand the unique historical trajectory of each ecosystem. Its discoveries can help us build a richly detailed sense of place, making possible mutually enriching connections between people and our surroundings– even if our surroundings seem ecologically impoverished, like post-industrial Cleveland.