Editor Degrees

• Ph.D. in Ecology, University of California, Santa Barbara
• B.S. in Biology, Duke University

About Teaching and CourseSource
I am a Research Associate in the Plant Biology Department at Michigan State University. My PhD work at UC Santa Barbara focused on coastal fog water use in native California shrubs and the ecological implications for wildfire risk. I currently conduct research on faculty professional development in teaching practices and ecophysiology of biofuel crops. I am passionate about professional development for academics at all career levels and I have tried to help my peers through my work as chair of the Ecological Society of America: Early Career Ecologists Section and leading Backward Design workshops at ESA meetings and various institutions.

I have taught a variety of course-types (lab, field, upper division, and introductory biology) and attempt to engage all students with course material while facilitating peer interactions inside and outside of the classroom. CourseSource is a tremendous curated resource for educators and researchers. Grounding educational materials with evidence-based practices improves the quality of biology education and not only benefits instructors and students, but also helps authors and developers grow as teacher-scholars.