I am an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Missouri Southern State University.  Before my transition to MSSU, I was a Board of Regents Doctoral Fellow at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and I am currently completing the final stages of my degree.  In general, I study the mechanisms of predator-prey interactions at multiple levels of biological organization.  With every new research endeavor, I strive to incorporate students into the project.  I am very passionate about research and teaching and believe that an integration of both processes is the key to advancing critical thinking skills and life-long learning.

        For my Master's work at the University of Central Missouri, I focused largely on snake behavior.  Precocial animals, like snakes, must accomplish all that life requires without any prior training.  I tested various aspects of their behavioral development and prey-handling behavior.  I also helped create and supervise multiple undergraduate-driven projects on various aspects of ectotherm physiological ecology, prey-base energetics, and behavior. 

        For my Ph.D work, I have focused more intently on the physiology and functional morphology of predator-prey mechanisms.  Specifically, my work centers on understanding the processes determining constriction and striking performance in snakes.  By studying the scaling of whole-body performance, and the mechanisms involved at multiple levels of biological organization, I have been seeking to discover and quantify how these integrated mechanisms work in both predators and prey to determine the outcomes of their interaction.  In addition to my specific dissertation work, I have broad interests and collaborations aimed at elucidating various linkages between form, function, and their changes through ontogeny.

        I am a strong supporter and advocate for undergraduate research.  At every stage of my graduate career I have collaborated with a diverse range of undergraduate researchers.  I have led and coordinated multiple student driven projects that have resulted in several peer-reviewed publications.  I firmly believe that I got to where I am today because of my mentors and colleagues.  As my career advances, I plan to continue to mentor and collaborate with undergraduates and next-generation scientists.