Carnegie’s newly launched Division of Biosphere Sciences and Engineering aims to integrate biological sciences from molecular to ecological scales, building a new 135,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art research facility in Pasadena where experts from a variety of fields will tear down disciplinary silos and tackle environmental, health, and energy system challenges across all scales.

My research interests range from basic research in aquatic science using statistical analysis of large databases to broader applications of empirical evidence in environmental issues and policy. My team currently works on the long-term dynamics of environmental change in the world's largest lake, Lake Baikal in Siberia; nearshore effects of stormwater and sewage on lakes of the Pacific Northwest; and global implications of ice loss in lakes.

CEREO is a system-wide initiative of Washington State University, a Center based on building and reinforcing meaningful interdisciplinary collaborations that link the natural and human dimensions of the environment. As Director, I build and support teams to pursue large-scale projects focused on innovative environmental research that integrates with impactful education and outreach.

The NSF Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) supports fundamental research on populations, species, communities and ecosystems. The Division Director provides vision and leadership, and contributes to NSF’s mission by supporting fundamental research on evolutionary and ecological patterns and processes which determine biological diversity of populations, species, communities and ecosystems. The Division Director also provides guidance to approximately 40 program officers and administrative and support staff, and assesses needs and trends, develops breakthrough opportunities, implements overall strategic planning, and policy setting.

NCEAS is a research center with an explicit mission to foster collaboration, synthetic cross-disciplinary environmental research, and the community ethic and means for data sharing. As Deputy Director for 7.5 years, I initiated and led diverse projects aligned with that mission, while also remaining involved in research. My research activity at NCEAS spanned a range from freshwater science and ecological statistics to collaborative projects with sociologists in the "science of science". At UCSB, I also had the opportunity to teach "Statistics and Data Analysis for Environmental Research and Management" at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.

At University of Idaho, I taught Limnology, Grant Proposal Writing, and Community & Ecosystem Ecology while executing research on the nearshore environmental effects of residential development on lakes in the Pacific Northwest.