I am a
Ph.D. student in Paleobiogeography in the Department of
Geology at the University of Kansas. My research
investigates the relationship between ecology, evolution,
and the environment with the hypothesis that extrinsic
environmental factors play a more prominent role in
macroevolution that intrinsic biological competition. I am
interested in whether history or competition more
significantly influences the paleo-distribution and range
size of species, whether changing environment influences
speciation mode throughout geologic time, whether specific
life strategies influence species persistence during
periods of environmental change or cyclicity, and whether
different monophyletic clades show similar or unique
responses to environmental change.