My primary research and teaching interests are in biogeography and landscape ecology. The common thread that runs through much of my work, however, is the influence of human-imposed spatial patterns on ecological dynamics and how these dynamics are then manifested in altered ecosystem patterns and processes
Biographical Profile
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Geography
Tenure Status
Tenured
Interest Background
Do you include students in your research?
Undergraduates and Graduates
Interest Keywords
deforestation, forest fragmentation, landscape ecology, floodplain forests, Congaree National Park, GIS, spatial analysis, watershed management, landscape indicators, environmental monitoring, biodiversity, remote sensing, GPS, prescribed fire
Institutional Focus Areas
Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences
Personal Focus Areas
Terrestrial ecosystem ecology, GIScience, National parks
Professional Preparation(Education & Training)
Dates
Institution
Location
Degree
Field of Study
05/1991 - 05/1995
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
PhD
Geography
09/1988 - 05/1991
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
MA
Geography
09/1984 - 04/1988
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN
BA
Geography
Memberships & Professional Activities
Dates
Type
Description
Institution/Entity
2003 - 2008
Professional Activity
Member of the Landscape Pattern Workgroup for State of the Nation's Ecosystems, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment
2007 - 2009
Professional Activity
Senior Advisory Panel. National Science Foundation, Geography and Spatial Sciences Program
Professional Activity
Panel Review member. Environmental Protection Agency / U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Ecological Impacts from the Interactions of Climate Change, Land Use Change and Invasive Species"
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geography & Planning, and Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Biology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN.
1999 - 2001
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geography and Regional Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. (Affiliate Faculty Member: Global Change, Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis interdisciplinary programs).
2005 - 2008
Associate Professor, Dept. of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. (Faculty Affiliate: Environment and Sustainability Program).
2008 - Present
Professor, Dept. of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. (Faculty Affiliate: Environment and Sustainability Program).
2010 - 2005
Associate Professor, Dept. of Geography and Regional Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. (Affiliate Faculty Member: Global Change, Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis interdisciplinary programs).
Instructor and Research Associate, Dept. of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Recognition Awards, Honors, & Fellowships
Dates
Type
Description
Foundation/Entity
2013
Award
Ada B. Thomas Advisor Award
University of South Carolina
Award
Summer Research Fellow, Edward. J. Meeman Biological Field Station
Award
University of Memphis Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award
Award
University of Memphis Early Career Research Award
Award
Udall Center Fellow, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, Tucson, AZ
Award
University of Arizona Provost's General Education Teaching Award
The two sections below (Awards and Pending Proposals) are only viewable by PIs, business managers, chairs, and deans.
Facilities
Laboratory
Yes. I direct the SCALE (South Carolina Applied Landscape Ecology) Lab, which is housed within the Geography Department at USC. It provides computing resources (hardware and software for GIS, remote sensing software and spatial analysis) used in the analysis of landscape pattern and process.