University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Associate Professor
Biology

What do you like most about UW-Stout?
The friendliness and the emphasis on students!

What are your hobbies?
Botanizing, cross-country skiing, running, biking, hiking and camping, gardening, cross-stitch, playing with my cats.

What is your favorite class to teach?
I love teaching students about plants, especially on outdoor field trips.

What makes for a successful student in your area?
An interest in the environment, asking lots of questions, and getting involved.

How did you get interested in your field?
I spent a lot of time camping outdoors in national parks growing up, and gardening with my grandmother.

What have your students taught you?
To be compassionate and humble.

What one technology do you wish were available right now?
Laundry robot, invasive plant vaporizer, true zero-greenhouse-gas emission automobiles, and cheap geothermal heat pumps for everyone

Where is the most exciting place you’ve visited or done research?
The most exciting/scary place I visited was the top of Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. I did my doctoral research in Acadia National Park in Maine (sweet!).

What advice would you give to an incoming student?
Get involved so you can figure out what you like best. Don't compromise on doing what you love.