University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Department Member, Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability

Academic Professional - Herpetologist

Illinois Natural History Survey

Advisors: Christopher A. Phillips - Doctoral
Edward O. Moll - Masters

About

In the most general sense my research aims to determine how organisms are ecologically adapted to their natural environment and how those ecological traits relate to life history.  More specifically my interests include the biology of reptiles and amphibians ranging from behavior to conservation and management. 

In a more applied sense, my research interests seek to construct effective management and conservation strategies to conserve rare and endangered biota.  My associates and I have examined how fragmentation by road barriers effects movement paths in terrestrial reptiles.  In addition, I have some interest in the consequences of road matrices on population dynamics.

Although my focus is currently directed on specific taxa I readily cross disciplinary boundaries when conducting my research.  I have expanded research into the physiological ecology of the North American viper, Sistrurus c. catenatus, by studying relationships and consequences of body temperature in free-ranging individuals to better predict timing of emergence.  I have conducted numerous GIS and remote sensing studies to answer questions relating to home range, habitat use, movement, and thermal site selection in terrestrial and aquatic reptiles. 

Ideally my goal is to thoroughly study an organism making it a model for generating and testing hypotheses.  My main avenue in achieving this goal is long-term studies of life history and adaptability at the population level using demographic monitoring, mathematical modeling, and remote sensing technologies.  I am currently engaged in two long-term studies; one involving a community of freshwater turtles, which began in 1994 and continues to date, and a second on the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, which began in 1999.

Contact Information

Email: