Background

My position is funded through the Partnership for Ecosystem Research and Management, a cooperative venture between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University. My primary research interest is to determine how fish habitat affects their population dynamics. By linking population dynamics with habitat, I hope to help fishery managers in their goal of sustaining valuable fisheries. In addition to this, I am also interested in the impact of fishing on fish populations, as well as the general ecology of fishes. To accomplish these interests, I generally take a mathematical modeling or statistical approach to problem solving. I also try to take advantage of opportunities to do whole-system manipulations as I feel this is one of the best ways to understand ecosystem functioning.

My principal teaching appointments are FW101L, Introduction to Fisheries and Wildlife Lab, STT224, Introductory Probability and Statistics for Ecologists, and FW238, Fisheries and Wildlife Field Experience. I also have lead seminar courses, and guest lecture in a number of our graduate and undergraduate courses. As part of the land grant mission at MSU, I am also heavily involved in outreach activities, primarily with the Fisheries Division of the Michigan DNR.

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

I generally only take on graduate students when I have funds to support them on a research assistantship. As such, the number of students I take on and their start dates depend on new projects I get funded. I presently do not have funds to take on an additional student.