Twenty-one years of experience in higher education; including nine years of experience in higher education administration. Positions have included dean, interim dean, department chair and program director. Nineteen years of teaching ecology and biodiversity related content with an international perspective, including program development and externally funded research. As a faculty member, I feel it is essential to take part in as many aspects of the university as possible. This includes not only serving on committees, but also serving on non-university committees as an active, engaged member of the community. Part of my community-related service has included providing "extension" service, both in the community and online, to identify insects that are having some impact on their lives; namely ladybugs, wasps, India meal moth, Arigope spiders, live, and even grasshoppers.
Research Interests: My research interests are diverse, but generally focused on local biodiversity issues. I have developed an expansive network of contacts and collaborations in state, national and international arenas. My partners have come from a variety of affiliations and backgrounds. Some are colleagues from my department or other UW-System schools, some are professionals affiliated with state and national agencies, and some are overseas. I currently have three research problems in development. I am working with materials science undergraduate students to develop protocol on the SEM to determine heavy metal content in grasshopper chitin. Second, I am the entomological expert and co-principle investigator on a pre-proposal to NSF on metacommunity models in vernal wetlands. Third, I am a co-principle investigator with Alex Latchininsky at the University of Wyoming and a long list of collaborators from around the world on an NSF-PIRE proposal to explore locust outbreaks in Central Asia.