I am an urban ecologist. As a scientist, educator, & adviser broadly trained in ecology and evolutionary biology, my research and pedagogical interests include the Calumet region, novel ecosystems, spontaneous urban vegetation, benefits of urban greenspace, plant diversity and local adaptation, environmental justice, and Indigenous land management practices and traditions.

I support and lead physician scientists in training at University of Chicago in the dual-degree (MD/PhD) Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). 

I am an advocate for greenspace in the Calumet region and advise organizations on environmental research, ecosystem services, and community engagement.  My small but ever-rewarding research program focuses on spontaneous plant communities that develop and persist despite the harsh conditions of post-industrial urban landscapes. I live to tromp through the hidden places between railroads and steel mills and am inspired by the tough flora that thrive in novel ecosystems. The history of land use in this region tells the story of humans, industries, and cultures -- teaching in the Calumet Quarter at UChicago was a true joy across almost ten years.