As an assistant professor in a small university, my time is divided between teaching, advising students, and service, both at the institutional and public level. I teach general courses in biology, environmental science, and ecology, as well as advanced courses focused on the management and restoration of landscapes, with an emphasis on coastal wetlands. At a small university, the ability to interact directly with students provides a distinct advantage in their development and success. As an adviser, I interact with students majoring in environmental sciences, biology, biology-med, and biology-conservation and field programs throughout their undergraduate academic career. Effective advising is essential in improving student success and retention. By understanding students' goals and needs, I am able to identify scholarships and relevant internship or research opportunities that enhance their program of study and make them more competitive for entry into graduate programs, professional schools, or the job market.In addition to my teaching and advising responsibilities, I also serve as chairman on three university committees, and am a member of eight others. Although time consuming, these activities give remarkable insight into university function and policy making procedure. Furthermore, I serve as an adviser to the Sumter County Soil and Water Conservation District, and as a board member on the Sumter County Nature Trust and Livingston Beautification Board.Lastly, I also serve as Director of the Black Belt Conservation and Research Institute (BBCRI), which is part of the Center for the Study of the Black Belt. One of the primary missions of the BBCRI is to provide information and technical assistance to regional landowners seeking to improve or maintain ecological integrity of habitats unique to the Black Belt of Alabama with emphasis on both wildlife and plant communities.

Oversaw wetland restoration and creation in hydric pine, cypress, mixed wetland hardwoods and shallow freshwater marsh communities, implemented a long term ecological monitoring plan for the Six-Mile Cypress Slough and watershed, conducted vegetative monitoring in mitigation areas to determine level of success, identified exotic plant species and developed eradication action plans and oversaw control efforts.