Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States
Professor of Microbial Ecology and Soil Biology for the past 21 years and Assistant Director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station (Jul 2022-present), former 3-year Co-Director of the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center of the University of Arkansas (2015-2018), Campus Faculty (2020-2021) and Faculty Senate Chair (2021-2022): My roles include teacher, academic advisor, problem solver, and researcher in environmental, soil, and water sciences. I am an educational professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused in soil ecology, and research includes bioremediation and biocontrol, aquatic ecology, and biogeochemistry. Teaching and faculty support include pedagogical best practices, support services, and assessment. Working in higher education researching and teaching microbial ecology (aquatic and terrestrial) and soil biology, I am interested in management, disturbance, and recovery and how the integrations of biogeochemical and physical properties affect ecological interactions and soil and aquatic ecosystem functioning. As an advisor mentoring graduate and undergraduate students and working with peers across disciplines in faculty development, I collaborate with professionals in the development of knowledge, skills, and professional career paths. In my role in the Agricultural Experiment Station, I am focused on strategic planning to develop guiding research initiatives.
Leading strategic planning efforts to develop and guide data science and analytics research initiatives for the Agricultural Experiment Station in data-driven agriculture, omics, and sustainability.
AREAS OF RESEARCH SPECIALIZATION: microbial ecology & soil biology in response to disturbances Antibiotic resistance and wastewater treatment: investigation of antibiotic resistance and plasmids as affected by wastewater treatment and stream environments using both cultivation and PCR-based methods. Soil quality: responses in nutrients, microbial biomass and diversity, distributions of native and non-native earthworms, and enzyme activities, soil physical changes in managed and disturbed ecosystems.
Investigated Alexandrium and phytoplankton distributions in the Bay of Fundy using molecular methods; investigated Alexandrium-bacterial interactions
investigated impacts of earthworms on soil ecology, nutrient dynamics, and soil structure