I am a professor in the Geology department and have been at Beloit for 5 years. My research interests include paleoclimatology, paleontology, and environmental science. These interests lead me to study a variety of questions like: How did climate change cause extinctions in Earth’s past? and, What are the potential environmental impacts related to mining? Since these research interests are multi-disciplinary, I spent time in the field collecting fossils and rock samples as well as the lab studying those fossils and conducting geochemical analysis; you can find more info on my lab group at the Beloit Paleo Lab website.

The courses that I teach at Beloit are directly related to my research interests, which means students in my classes get to take lots of field trips. The Geology Department provides all the gear students need for these trips, as well as our food :) I incorporate projects into my courses to provide hands-on, critical-thinking activities to reinforce lecture material. I strive for an inclusive classroom and I view our differences as strengths and believe that we can all learn from each other.

I spend my free time gardening, cooking, and with family. I make pizza from scratch pretty much every weekend, and have recently started bottling different hot sauces with the peppers that I grow.