Research in our lab centers on microbial ecology, microbial diversity, and nutrient cycling processes in soils and streams. Our main goal is to build knowledge on the maintenance and sustainability of managed and 'natural' ecosystem services, within the context of disturbance and global change, through the integration of perspectives at microbial and ecosystem scales.
Ongoing research themes include understanding how grazing by bison and cattle, and other grassland and cropland management factors, affect soil microbial diversity and nitrogen cycling functions; and the hydrologic and land-use conditions that affect microbial diversity and function, particularly in streams that are vulnerable to drying. Additional research includes understanding the development of soil organic matter and microbial communities on fresh parent material (volcanic ash), and the role of the microbiome in mediating harmful algal blooms. See our "People" and "Projects" pages for more detail.
We welcome and value perspectives that are outside our individual ranges of familiarity. We learn from one another, and we know more together.
If you are interested in learning more, get in touch!
For interested graduate students: The general deadlines for students interested in graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) starting in the Fall are Dec 15 of the preceding year. GTA positions entail some teaching responsibility, but have flexible research topics: See more at the KSU Biology website. Graduate research assistantships (GRAs) have no required teaching responsibility, but are paid by grants with pre-defined research goals. I encourage all students to develop one chapter of their GRA research that is topically-related, but driven by their own ideas and interests.
***We are currently recruiting a PhD GRA researcher on microbial biodiversity and health in cropped systems across the central USA!***
***(MORE HERE)***
Ongoing research themes include understanding how grazing by bison and cattle, and other grassland and cropland management factors, affect soil microbial diversity and nitrogen cycling functions; and the hydrologic and land-use conditions that affect microbial diversity and function, particularly in streams that are vulnerable to drying. Additional research includes understanding the development of soil organic matter and microbial communities on fresh parent material (volcanic ash), and the role of the microbiome in mediating harmful algal blooms. See our "People" and "Projects" pages for more detail.
We welcome and value perspectives that are outside our individual ranges of familiarity. We learn from one another, and we know more together.
If you are interested in learning more, get in touch!
For interested graduate students: The general deadlines for students interested in graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) starting in the Fall are Dec 15 of the preceding year. GTA positions entail some teaching responsibility, but have flexible research topics: See more at the KSU Biology website. Graduate research assistantships (GRAs) have no required teaching responsibility, but are paid by grants with pre-defined research goals. I encourage all students to develop one chapter of their GRA research that is topically-related, but driven by their own ideas and interests.
***We are currently recruiting a PhD GRA researcher on microbial biodiversity and health in cropped systems across the central USA!***
***(MORE HERE)***