Associate Professor, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
- PhD, Forestry, University of Montana
- MS, Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University
- BS, Biology, South Dakota State University
Silviculture embracing forest change
Michigan Tech is situated among expansive and diverse forest types and ownerships, encompassing a medley of demands on forest resources. Disturbances and forest vegetation dynamics are the foundation of silviculture; they allow for creative solutions to complex management and conservation issues.
My research is driven by broad scientific questions, including landscape-level assessment of invasive species and multiple-scale quantification of forest structures in a changing environment. Silviculture is applied forest ecology, and requires creativity in concert with proficiency in ecological and technical arenas. Education in natural resources in a fluid and technologically accelerating world requires unique instructional approaches, and societal demands require a comprehensive integration of ideas and concepts.
My teaching philosophy centers around active student learning both in the classroom and in the field. My mission is to provide students with fundamental knowledge, and cultivate their curiosity and critical thinking skills so that they can ask good questions and know where to find answers in the future.