I'm a professor at Point Park University, teaching courses in ecology, botany, and the environmental sciences. I began my career as an aquatic ecologist, with extensive training in aquatic entomology and plant ecology. I received my doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and I have been working in the ecology field for more than 20 years with institutions such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. When I started at Point Park eleven years ago, I began taking on a variety of projects that students wanted to pursue as independent projects. These projects made me realize just how much we are affecting the environment around us, from the spread of invasive species to the changing chemistry in our air and water. As a bee keeper, I became interested in bees and my interest grew when publications from around the world began reporting on the decline of native bees. In Project Bee Watch, I am combining my passion for bees with my belief that scientists should work alongside community members to encourage conservation and lifelong learning.
