I do ecosystem ecology research (aka, “biogeochemistry”), which focuses on understanding the controls on the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through ecological communities and their coupled abiotic environment (air, water, soil). Most of my work focuses on plant/soil interactions and the cycling of carbon and nitrogen. Over the years, I’ve found that the following background and skills really help students succeed in my lab. If you don’t currently have these skills, but are pursuing research because you really want to gain them, that can be fine, as long as you have the motivation to put in some extra work to help get yourself up to speed.

To understand the conceptual foundations of research in ecosystem ecology, course work in Ecology (e.g., BIOL 325 or ESCI 325) is extremely helpful. Deeper understanding of principles of ecosystem ecology is even better, as from, for example, BIOL 416 – Ecosystem Ecology and Global Change, or one of several ESCI courses (e.g., 407 – Forest Ecology, 431 – Watershed Biogeochemistry, 440 – Wetlands Ecology, 463 – Wetlands Wastewater Treatment, or 491 – Oceanography of Puget Sound).

Skills I value include

1. Strong chemistry background, including lab experience. Lab work is essential for what we do, and much of this focuses on analytical chemistry. I’ll train you in the specific techniques we use, but coming in with comfort in making up reagents, calculating dilutions and molarity, and following lab safety procedures will help you get started.

2. Strong quantitative background. In addition to the lab-related calculations just mentioned, my lab does a lot of statistical analysis of data and ecological modeling. Comfort with quantitative reasoning, basic stats (including R or SYSTAT), and graphing (both creating and interpreting) are essential. If you have them, experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and computer models can also be very helpful.

3. Field work. We sample soils and streams. We measure plants. We get out there in sun, rain, wind, heat, and cold. Sometimes we can get what we need from right next to the car. Sometimes we have to scramble through dense thickets and over uneven terrain. Being able to work in all these conditions is an asset. That said, if you have physical limitations that might impede some of this, please discuss it with me up front and we can work to accommodate, as necessary.

4. Strong personal work ethics, including timeliness, attention to detail, ability to accurately follow directions, ability to work both independently and as a team, willingness to ask questions, willingness to accept responsibility, and willingness to constructively discuss disagreements or problems as they arise.

5. Writing. Ability to clearly communicate scientific results and ideas is essential to maximizing the impact of that work. We are all continually improving in the quest for clear, concise, complete, impactful prose, and that's part of what we'll work on together. Still, I expect college-level abilities in writing mechanics (e.g., grammar, spelling, paragraph construction, etc.) and a willingness to work hard on the more subtle aspects of writing.

I welcome students to work for a quarter, multiple quarters or multiple years. You might be interested in just trying out the lab or in doing a full-blown undergraduate independent research project, written up as a thesis. I usually take a progressive approach to these different levels of commitment.

Credits for all of the research options below are variable, typically ranging from 1-3 credits per quarter, with each credit requiring 3 hours of lab or field time commitment per week. There may be additional time involved for reading background material or writing up results.

BIOL 300 Independent Study/Research Participation. This is a great place to start. If some of my research projects seem interesting to you, and you just want to give one of them a try for a quarter, this is a low stakes way for both of us to assess the “fit”. Usually, you’ll be working with me or more experienced students in the lab (either grad or undergrad) to help with an ongoing project. If, at the end of the quarter, you decide that work really isn’t for you, or I feel that things aren’t going well, then we can say “fare thee well”, with no balls dropped. If we’re mutually agreeable that it is a good fit, then we can take the next step.

BIOL 400 Independent Study/Biology Research. If you decide you’re really interested in a project in my lab, and have the motivation to take on independent research, BIOL 400 provides that opportunity. Please check with your Biology plan of study to make sure the time commitment will work with your other classes. This class can be taken multiple times, but there are limits on how many credits from 400 will count toward your Biology major. The final product of student work is often a poster presented at WWU’s Scholars Week. But it could also be a formal written thesis. In some cases, a paper for publication may result. We would work together to determine timing for composing drafts, editing, revising, and turning in the final product.

Summer research. I occasionally have funding to support a student for summer work. I also can work with volunteers if you just want to get some experience and have other means of financial support. Ability to work independently is essential, because I am typically gone for parts of the summer for meetings, field work, or family vacation. We would work together to develop a schedule compatible with research responsibilities and other time demands.

If you are interested in working with me for a Masters degree, please contact me to discuss your interests and the available projects in my lab (see the "To inquire" and “To apply” sections, below). I have never accepted MS students who haven’t contacted me first.  I also recommend that you talk to other students in the Biology program and in my lab. I’m happy to put you in touch with them. Grad school is a lot of work, so you want to make sure that the project, program, and advisor are the right fit for your interests and the directions you want to pursue.

My philosophy for mentoring graduate students is that of supported independence. I am available to help train you in specific techniques and guide you in the research and writing process. But I also expect a high degree of self-motivation in learning and doing the day-to-day work to keep the project moving. In addition to the general topic of research, you should think about what scientific tools you want to develop in grad school for use in your future career. Knowing this will help to refine potential research questions. Almost all of my grad students have become skilled in a technique or analysis that I don't know. I can help get you started on learning those tools, but only your drive can lead you to become proficient in them.

Grad school is a brief, intense time of learning. It's not a career. It will take hours that exceed the standard 8-5 work day and M-F work week to finish an MS degree in the target of two academic years. You don't have to live this way forever (though if you love it, there's always academia for a career…), and I definitely encourage healthy habits of sleep, food, exercise and socializing to keep you sane. But you should be aware going in that you'll need strong self-motivation, work ethics, and energy to get the most out of this experience.

I am currently seeking one grad student to start in Fall 2024, with a focus on nutrient cycling in Whatcom County watersheds. In particular, I’m looking for a grad student to help with watershed modeling, using GIS and existing water quality data to better understand the impacts of riparian buffers on nutrient retention. For example, one project uses the Agriculture Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model. This project would follow up on work of  previous grad students, Drew Monks and Bridger Cohan (see their projects here), who have worked to calibrate and validate APEX for crops, natural vegetation, and best management practices in a local watershed, Kamm Creek. While hydrology and crop growth worked fairly well in our initial studies, nutrient fluxes did not. Getting APEX working accurately will be essential for modeling of future land use scenarios. That is, how might best management practices interact with climate change to affect nitrogen and phosphorus runoff in Pacific Northwest watersheds? This project is directly relevant to the Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Nitrogen Project.  It will be a mix of field, lab and modeling work, so strong chemistry skills are helpful and strong quantitative skills are essential.

Starting in spring 2024, I’ll be looking for two undergrads to help with field and lab work assessing plant and soil nitrogen stocks in restored riparian buffers

To inquire about research opportunities in my lab, please send me an email stating your interests, and include a resumé and copies of unofficial transcripts. (Potential grad students can report their GRE scores; however, please note that the Biology Dept. no longer requires GREs for grad student applications.) I will typically want to discuss your background and potential research opportunities with you, either in person or by phone. If you have any parts of your application that you feel might be weak, but have an explanation of extenuating circumstances, please describe it in your communication. Because mentoring involves a lot of time, I am very selective about which students I accept, but also want to allow for the bumps in the road that many of us experience.

To formally apply for the Masters of Science program in Biology, you will need to fill out the on-line application with WWU’s Graduate School, at this link. If we have agreed that your interests are a good fit for the projects I have available, you should list me as a potential advisor and address in your essay why this project and program fit with your background and future goals. You should seek reference letters from sources who can speak to your abilities related to this project. Previous discussions with me do not guarantee admittance.