My teaching philosophy contains 3 main components:

1. construct courses so that students experience Biology as an investigative science;
2. design opportunities in the lab to help students refine and practice their technique of scientific investigation; and
3. encourage students to develop critical thinking skills by evaluating scientific journal articles and science in the world around them.

I plan my courses with an eye toward making Biology come alive to students. We use current, popular media to analyze the science of everyday life. Students develop analytical skills that allow them to connect current class biological concepts with larger ecological and environmental issues.

My research interests span cellular to ecological, and have included experiments in the laboratory, greenhouse and field.

To date, I have supervised two senior undergraduate students. One who explored demography (turnover) of roots as a response to nutrient patchiness using rhizotron boxes in a greenhouse setting (Virginia Tech, 1999-2000).

The second student examined the antibacterial properties of spices with respect to three common plant pathogens using plate inhibition tests in a lab setting (R-MWC, 2003).

Another area I’m interested in researching is phytoremediation. In phytoremediation, plants are used to ‘clean up’ environmental contamination. Specifically, we have shown from greenhouse experiments that corn plants can take up significant amounts of lead and translocate the lead to their shoots for easy removal. Future research will focus on refining the technique so that it can be used to absorb lead from actual contaminated sites in the Lynchburg area.

When I’m not in the office, I enjoy spending time with my family. My husband Andy and our two boys, Justin and Connor, enjoy spending time hiking, bike riding and swimming at Smith Mountain Lake. Our golden retriever Cameron loves to swim too.