My interdisciplinary pursuits provide a multi-faceted understanding of environmental change in the coastal realm. I am an ecologist, asking questions that span population, community, ecosystem, and evolutionary sub-disciplines. I often use a food web perspective, exploring top-down (e.g., predation) and bottom-up (e.g., nutrient) mechanisms by which animals affect ecosystem processes. I have been involved with coastal restoration initiatives, conservation policymaking, and water management strategies. Building from these research experiences, I serve in various roles as editor, science consultant, and student mentor.

I am a Senior Fellow at the Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability and a Research Professor in the Department of Biology at Wake Forest University. I was previously a Professor in the Department of Applied Ecology at North Carolina State University, part of the Global Environmental Change and Human Well-being Cluster. I have research programs in The Bahamas and I am active in community service in Western North Carolina including a member of the Haywood Country Search and Rescue Team. I am always seeking new opportunities to contribute to broader scientific and conservation communities.