I am originally from New Jersey and I spent 30 years in Florida. I earned a bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. I spent several years pursuing my Ph.D. in Geography, Environmental Science, and Planning at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL., but I could not afford to continue. I now live in Las Vegas, Nevada.

My teaching philosophy is to instill an appreciation and understanding of how science influences our daily lives. I like to motivate students to discover the natural world with fun field exercises and lab experiments to equip students with the skills needed to make judgements based on sound science concepts. The online format makes hands-on learning a challenge, but it gives you the opportunity to explore science on your own terms.

Research topics that interest me are: 1) the effects of climate on life cycle changes in plants and animals, and 2) the impacts of urbanization on hydrology and biodiversity. While the biological impact of climate change is happening all around us, a good scientist is vigilant about observing these impacts to convince ill-informed nay-sayers and to use our observations to craft climate adaptation plans.

I was a research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey from 1973 to 2012. My focus was on surface water (rivers and lakes) water quality and aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity; contaminants in groundwater and drinking-water, and biological impacts of climate change.