Life History, Ecology, and Conservation of Vertebrates

My research broadly focuses on (1) understanding vertebrate life history and ecology and (2) using this information to guide conservation and management decisions.  I use ecological and natural history data to answer hypotheses related to thermal ecology, behavioral ecology, population connectivity, reintroduction ecology, and impacts of natural or anthropogenic stressors on reptile, amphibian, or avian populations.  I also conduct species status surveys for rare reptile and amphibian species.  To learn more about my current or past research, go to my research page.  

My teaching interests closely mirror my research interests, so that one complements the other.  As a field biologist, I value experiential learning and "learning by doing".  This strategy provides better student engagement and deeper learning opportunities (and often good times too!).  Such experiences include taking field trips to natural areas, identifying specimens to hone diagnostic skills, class field projects, and learning field techniques.  To learn more about the classes I teach, go to my teaching page.
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If you have any questions or wish to collaborate on a project, please contact me at [email protected].

Recent News

August 2024
  • After an academic sabbatical, a draft was completed of "The Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Mississippi." 
  • Two manuscripts accepted detailing the distribution and encounter rates of Aneides aeneus in northeastern Mississippi and the distribution and abundance of Graptemys in the Tombigbee River system of northeastern Mississippi!
April 2024
  • Millsaps undergraduates Kevin Cline and Veronica Petrocelli present on the status of Crawfish Frogs in central Mississippi at the Millsaps Student Research Symposium.  They won best student presentation... congrats!
  • Two papers on Ringed Sawbacks in Louisiana published in Herpetological Conservation and Biology!

​​​​OLD NEWS