About Me

Photo by Brianna Carleton

I am an ecosystem ecologist studying primary producers, principally phytoplankton, in lakes, rivers and, most recently, estuaries. I am interested in how primary producers affect biogeochemical cycles and their role in food webs. This subject area allows me to pursue my interests in hydrology, underwater optics, phytoplankton physiology, nutrient cycling and consumer energetics. Currently I am studying the factors which control algal blooms in the tidal freshwater segment of the James River (see Research).

I received my PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Indiana University in 1989 working with Dr. Don Whitehead. I trained as a post-doctoral associate with Dr. Gene Likens at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies. In 1993, I obtained a faculty position at the University of Louisville where I was promoted and given tenure. In 2004 I joined the faculty of Virginia Commonwealth University where I was promoted to Professor in the Department of Biology. My current appointment is in the Center for Environmental Studies. My recruitment at VCU is part of the effort to build a program in River Science at the VCU Rice Center.

I am a two-time Fulbright recipient; these provided an opportunity to work with colleagues at the Coastal Research and Planning Institute at Klaipeda University in Lithuania. I also received a Gledden Fellowship from the Government of Australia which allowed me to spend a sabbatical with the Centre for Water Research at the University of Western Australia.