I joined the faculty at TSU in June 2010.  I am currently working on developing an Extension and research program based around bioenergy crop production with specific interests in improving switchgrass yields and quality.  In Extension, I am developing programs designed to provide producers with current information on the range of biofuel crops that exist as well as current practices for maximizing yields with the least environmental impacts. 

I have a B.S. in Chemistry with an Environmental Studies minor from Ithaca College that I received in 2000.

I have an M.S. in Soil and Water Sciences that I received in 2004 from UC Riverside.  My thesis was focused on the effects of prescribed fires on sediment and soil nutrient erosion.  I also worked on research at the Salton Sea focused on identifying the geochemistry of iron in the sediments.

I have a Ph.D. in Agronomy that I received in 2008 from Purdue University.  My dissertation was focused on sustainable waste management.  One project was focused on the reuse of waste foundry sand as part of a soil amendment.  This waste is currently considered nonhazardous but is disposed of in U.S. landfills at a rate of 8-12 million tons per year.  Another project focused on the study of compost maturity indices that are used to identify when the composting process is considered "finished".

I was a postdoctoral research associate for the USDA Agricultural Research Service from 2008 to 2010 where I worked on various research projects focused on the environmental effects of land application of municipal and agricultural waste products.