Bio

I am interested in questions that address both basic and applied biology. My first independent research project as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee looked at the effects of migratory waterfowl on the chemistry and biology of an urban lagoon. I found that the lagoon was heavily impacted by road salt but little impacted by nitrogenous waste from the waterfowl. At the same time, I collected data on gull predation by peregrine falcons released into downtown Milwaukee. This led to a seasonal job in the Green Mountains of Vermont with the U.S. Forest Service studying the impact of hikers on the nesting behavior of peregrine falcons. This exposure to research early in my career was vital to my success in the profession of biology, and I urge all undergraduate students to conduct an independent study as an integral part of their college experience.

My graduate work focused on the systematics and ecology of neotropical mammals. I’ve utilized molecular techniques to extract and amplify DNA from museum specimens of rare and extinct foxes to better understand their systematic relationships. In the early 1990s, there were only a few labs working on “ancient DNA” and I was fortunate to work in the lab of Dr. Robert Wayne, a leader in the molecular systematics of canids, at UCLA. We were able to clarify the taxonomic position of Darwin’s fox as a distinct species endemic to Chile. While living in the Paraguayan chaco, my wife and I also worked on a captive breeding project of chacoan peccaries for the Zoological Society of San Diego. Some of the animals we cared for, as well as their offspring, are now living at the Phoenix Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, and most recently the Saint Louis Zoo.

My dissertation research focused on how small mammal communities are structured in agricultural, successional, and natural habitats in the central Paraguayan chaco. I investigated the population ecology of the vesper mouse (Calomys laucha) and its associated hantavirus Laguna Negra Virus. My results show that populations of vesper mice grow throughout the dry season and that this is associated with a higher incidence of viral infection. Further, seroprevelance is higher in agricultural and successional habitats. This has clear implications for the transmission of the virus to humans. I have also observed that seroprevelence increases as the relative frequency of the rodent reservoir increases in the community.

Experience and Interests

Teaching Experience

• Professor, Division of Wildlife, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point (September 2020-Present)
• Professor, Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point (2013-2020)
• Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point (2007-2013)
• Assistant Professor,  Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point (2001-2007)
• Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Clarke University (1999-2001)

Professional Experience

• Co-founder, Innovative Thermal Management Technologies (ITMT), San Diego, CA (2016-2018)
• Visiting Scientist, University of California San Diego (2015-2017)
• Environmental Engineer, Iranian Gas Engineering & Development Company (IGEDC), Tehran, Iran (2009-2010)
• Senior process engineer, Pilab Company, Tehran, Iran (2007-2009)
• Research Assistant, Biochemical and Bioenvironmental Research Center, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (2005-2007)

Research Interests

• Community ecology of bats and small mammals
• Museum Science
• Science Education

Involvement

Campus

• Program Review Committee (2016-Present)
• UWSP faculty representative, UW-System Women and Science Program Board (2007-2015)
• University Professional Development Committee (2007-2013)

Community

• Bioblitz, Milwaukee Public Museum (2015-Present)
• Bioblitz, Urban Ecology Center and Door County Land Trust (2018-Present)

Professional Memberships

• American Society of Mammalogists, Public Education Committee (2011-Present)
• Citizen Science Association (2017-Present)
• Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (2021)

Links

• Wisconsin Bat Curriculum​
• Squirrel-net.org

Select Publications

Fun Facts

Best advice you ever received?

You can’t be in the right place at the right time if you don’t go anywhere.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A zookeeper at the Milwaukee Public Zoo

Favorite quote?

“Chance favors the prepared mind.” – Louis Pasteur

One thing about your college that you are most proud of?

I have never met a group of people that loves their students more and works to build them up.  I also love how we support each other professionally – it really does feel like a family.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

The thing I most enjoy about teaching is learning.

A piece of advice for students?

College is a four-year job interview.  Every day you will have the opportunity to work on marketable skills, whether in the classroom or in the field.