Projects

2021-2023

I’m currently working as a postdoctoral researcher on an applied restoration project. I am in the process of planting disease-resistant trees I created during my PhD. I am very excited for the opportunity to expand the work started in my PhD research, and carry this restoration project through the next steps in application, including the planting of resistant trees in National Park Service properties, and creation of a monitoring plan for this agency.

I am serving as an illustrator on a field guide for turkey tail fungi in preparation by colleagues in my university. I will post additional information as this project progresses.

2017-2021

I defended my dissertation, earning my PhD in Forest Science from Michigan Technological University in 2021, titled “Development of a propagation program for beech bark disease-resistant American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and an applied restoration plan for mitigation of beech bark disease.” This project focused on the creation of a propagation program at MTU, focusing on the production of beech bark disease-resistant American beech seedlings. These trees are currently healing at MTU, and will soon be used to mitigate BBD damages in stakeholder properties.

I am assisted in the creation of a rangeland riparian restoration study in northeast Montana in collaboration with a fellow graduate student, Alex Rice (acrice@mtu.edu) and a private landowner.

2015-2017

In the spring of 2016, in collaboration with my advisor and mentor Jordan Marshall (marshalj@ipfw.edu), I prepared and defended my MSc. thesis on the characterization of ground-dwelling arthropod communities within fragmented forests in Northeast Indiana.

In the Summer of 2016 I completed a survey of ground-dwelling arthropods and overstory and midstory woody species in nine properties owned by Acres Land Trust, a private land trust company with a commitment to outreach and education about Indiana’s natural resources, and one property owned by Purdue Northeast.