Research Interests

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My goal is to provide the best available science and training to support the sustainable management of forest ecosystems in the Lake States and beyond.  As a silviculturist, my specific area of expertise is the application of ecological knowledge to forest management in order to fulfill a wide range of society’s and landowners’ needs and values.  My focus is on the development and testing of ecological theory through field experiments, and application of ecological theory to develop technologies that solve challenges facing private, industrial, state, federal, and nonprofit forest owners and managers.


Currently, I am working on various projects related to the restoration and management of forests in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Great Lakes region. 

Current Research Themes

Sustainable management of Lake States northern hardwoods

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The influence of forest management on wood quality

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Traditional ecological knowledge and conventional forest management

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Grants

$2,140,941 total external research funding as PI or Co-PI, and $189,967 internal support as PI or Co-PI


  • 2019 – 2024  NSF Growing Convergence Research Collaborative Research: GCR: A Convergent Discipline in Socio-Technological System Transitions: Research on Michigan Community & Anishinaabe Renewable Energy Sovereignty (MICARES) –$3,600,000 project total ($22,191 direct funding for my contribution)  Senior Personnel on large collaborative project led by Dr. Kathleen Halvorsen (PI, Michigan Tech), Dr. Doug Bessette (PI, Michigan State University), and Evelyn Ravidran (PI, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community).
  • 2017 – 2022  US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational Program Novel timber production systems to protect productivity and sustainability of Northern Hardwoods in the North-Central region– $500,000 PI on project with Dr. Christopher Webster (Michigan Tech), and Dr. Robert Froese (Michigan Tech) 
  • 2018 – 2021  McIntire-Stennis program Gathering Giizhik (Northern White Cedar) in a changing landscape– $24,000 Principle Investigator
  • 2016 – 2021  National Park Service Great Lakes Northern Forest CESU:Beech reintroduction at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – $492,045 PI on project with Dr. Andrew Storer (Michigan Tech), and Dr. Tara Bal (Michigan Tech)
  • 2019  Ecosystem Science Center, Michigan Technological University Developing a northern white cedar swamp map for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula– $7,000 Co-PI on project with Dr. Rodney A. Chimner (PI, Michigan Tech), and Robin Clark (Co-PI, Michigan Tech)
  • 2017 – 2019  US Forest Service, Forest Products Lab Effect of silvicultural practices on the physical and mechanical properties of Lake States Hardwoods – $60,333 Co-PI on project with Dr. Xiping Wang (US Forest Service)
  • 2016 – 2019  2016 Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity, US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Ensuring salvaged, beetle-killed trees are utilized for the highest and best use through the application of new technologies– $344,277 PI on project with Dr. Robert (Bob) Ross (US Forest Service), Dr. Xiping Wang (US Forest Service), John Forsman (Michigan Tech), Dr. Mark Rudnicki (Michigan Tech), Dr. Xinfeng Xie (Michigan Tech)
  • 2014 – 2018  McIntire-Stennis program Increasing species diversity and landscape-scale forest complexity of Northern hardwood forests through even- and two-aged management– $28,000 Principle Investigator
  • 2017  American Forest Management, Inc.Evaluation of strip-clearcutting on Northern Hardwoods to regenerate hard maple – $7,298  Co-PI on project with Dr. Christopher Webster (Michigan Tech)
  • 2014 – 2017  Joint Fire Science Program Assessing factors that influence landscapefuels treatment effectiveness– $337,343 Co-PI on project with Dr. Chad Hoffman (PI, Colorado State University) and Dr. William ‘Ruddy’ Mell (Co-PI, US Forest Service), Dr. Seth Ex (Co-PI, Colorado State University) and Dr. Russell Parsons (Co-PI, US Forest Service)
  • 2016  American Forest Management, Inc.Evaluation of strip-clearcutting on Northern Hardwoods to regenerate hard maple – $6,350  Co-PI on project with Dr. Christopher Webster (Michigan Tech)
  • 2014 – 2016  Warner College of Natural Resources Cheveron Fellowship 2014 Management of sudden aspen decline (SAD) on private land in Piceance Basin, CO– $137,440  Co-PI on project with Dr. Tony Cheng (PI, Colorado State University) and Dr. Wayne Shepherd (Co-PI, Retired US Forest Service) 
  • 2013 – 2016  Joint Fire Science Program Assessing the effectiveness of spatially heterogeneous fuels reduction restoration treatments– $338,915 Co-PI on project with Dr. Chad Hoffman (PI, Colorado State University), Dr. Michael Battaglia (Co-PI, US Forest Service), Dr. Anthony Cheng (Co-PI, Colorado State University), and Dr. Fredrick Smith (Co-PI, Retired Colorado State University)  
  • 2015  Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation Restoration of fire-dependent, mixed-pine forests in upper Michigan: the effect on bird communities, forest structure, and understory vegetation – $2,380 PI on project with Dr. R. Gregory Corace, III (PI, US Fish and Wildlife Service), Dr. P. Charles Goebel (Cooperator, Ohio State University), and Dr. Daniel M. Kashian (Cooperator, Wayne State University)
  • 2015   Michigan Technological University Research Excellence Fund – Infrastructure Enhancement (REF-IE) Remote data acquisition from forests, streams and wildlife for research and instruction – $45,527   Co-PI on project with Dr. Andrew Burton (PI, Michigan Tech), Dr. Joseph Wagenbrenner (Michigan Tech), Dr. Amy Marcarelli (Michigan Tech), and Dr. Robert Froese (Michigan Tech)  
  • 2007 – 2008  Miss E L Hellaby Grassland Research TrustSpatial patterning of Hieracium invaded short tussock grassland communities– NZ$10,150 Principle Investigator