University of Georgia Department of Plant Biology

MS Environmental Studies, College of Charleston 2008

BS Biological Sciences and Sociology, Furman University 2004

Owing to a multidisciplinary educational background, my research interests are rather broad, but can be best categorized into the fields of ecological genetics and the evolution of geographical range limits in plant genera and species.

More specifically, I am interested in answering the following questions:
1) Why do closely related plant sister taxa have such different geographical range limits? (i.e. Why do you see some species that are very narrowly endemic, while their sister species are very broadly distributed?)
2) What are the historical and ecological reasons for these patterns?
3) What role does population genetics play in shaping range limits?
4) Are local adaptation and habitat specialization driving factors in expansion or range limitation, respectively?
5) How has global climate change in the past affected species distribution, and can these patterns be used to predict future change given the current climate changes occurring?

These questions are easily applied to plant taxa that have specific geographical distributions, like those of Sarracenia (Pitcher Plants) or the study system I work with, Polygonella (Polygonaceae; buckwheat). One particularly interesting characteristic of this genus is a striking difference in mating system among the eleven species. Within this genus, species are either synoecious (hermaphroditic), gynomonoecious, gynodioecious, or dioecious. This characteristic makes Polygonella a potentially useful study system for further investigating the evolution of mating system in plants.

National Institutes of Health Training Grant, 2009-2011
UGA Genetics Department Graduate Recruitment Student Chair, 2009
UGA Genetics Department Graduate Recruitment Student Co-Chair, 2010
UGA Genetics Graduate Student Association Co-President, 2010-2011

National Institutes of Health Training Grant, 2009-2011
UGA Genetics Department Graduate Recruitment Student Chair, 2009
UGA Genetics Department Graduate Recruitment Student Co-Chair, 2010
UGA Genetics Graduate Student Association Co-President, 2010-2011

• American Society of Plant Taxonomists,
• Botanical Society of America,
• Southern Appalachian Botanical Society,