I am a population and community ecologist interested in examining the success and impacts of invasive plant species. I am interested in several issues within the realm of invasion biology, particularly:
(1) Why do some exotic species achieve high population success?
(2) Can biocontrol be effective at controlling invasive species populations?
(3) What impacts do invasive species have on native communities? AND
(4) Can communities resist invasion?

Lespedeza cuneata, an invasive plant species.

For my dissertation, I examined the effect of herbivory on the mating system, fitness, and population growth rate of Lespedeza cuneata, a noxious invader in the Midwest. I used demographic modeling and congeneric comparisons to examine the role of enemy release in the success of L. cuneata as well as the potential effectiveness for a leaf-chewing herbivore as a biocontrol agent. For my postdoctoral work, I am using a combination of field experiments and demographic matrix modeling to examine how interspecific interactions (herbivory, pollination, and competition) influence the population dynamics of rare (federally listed L. leptostachya), ), common (L. capitata) and invasive (L. cuneata) species. My goal is to provide insight into the ecology of rarity and invasiveness and to further the effectiveness of management for the rare L. leptostachya and invasive L. cuneata.