I am a Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Toledo with a joint appointment at Pacific NW National Laboratory, Past-President of the Soil Ecology Society, and co-lead of a Department of Energy Large-Scale Research Project through the Division of Biological and Environmental Research. I study soil biogeochemistry and plant-soil organism interactions, and in my twenty years at Toledo, I have established an internationally recognized research program studying the mechanisms underlying soil processes and how they respond to disturbances and management in a range of systems. During this time, I have  become deeply committed to improving student learning outcomes in the classroom by incorporating active learning experiences and promoting learning through the use of relevant learning experiences. I have also gained extensive experience leading and managing large research projects and competing for extramural research funding. 

My overall research goal is to elucidate the controls on the terrestrial ecosystem processes that support critical ecosystem services. In particular, my focus is on determining how decomposition, nutrient transformations and runoff, and plant-soil interactions will be affected by nutrient runoff and deposition in both natural and agricultural systems, and by management practices in agricultural systems. Working with a wide network of collaborators and employing a variety of research approaches, including microbial, isotopic, biogeochemical techniques, and field manipulations, enables me to take a broad-based and comprehensive approach to addressing these questions.