B.A. cum laude, Biology, Harvard Unversity, 1991.
PhD. Entomology, University of Connecticut, 1999.

Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Curatorial Assistant 1990-1991.
NSF Graduate Research Training fellowship, University of Connecticut, 1994-1995.
NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant, 1995-1997.
EPA Graduate Fellowship (American Museum of Natural History) 1995-1999.
The Nature Conservancy and Tall Timbers Research Station, S-390 Certificate in Fire Behavior and Ecological Burning, 1995.
President’s Prize (honorable mention), Entomological Society of America, 1997.
Fellow, Willi Hennig Society.

Molecular and morphological systematics and life history evolution in the Lepidoptera.

The Lepidoptera constitute the second most species-rich order of insects and one of the most varied. Butterflies and skippers, the most obvious and best-studied members of the group, comprise less than 15% of lepidopteran species, and only two of forty-six recognized superfamilies. Both with respect to systematics and from the standpoint of life history evolution, moths represent a fertile field for empirical inquiry.

My research is divided among three primary foci: Phylogenetic systematics within the Lepidoptera, particularly macrolepidopteran moths; the use of phylogenetic reconstructions to explore the macroevolution of host plant use, diapause, and other life history features in the group; and the evolution of moths associated with prairies and other grass-dominated ecosystems. The intersection of the first two of these areas comprises my interest in phylogenetic theory, particularly as it applies to the evolution of plant-insect interactions. The third was spawned by my work as a conservation biologist, specifically my active interest in using insect assemblages to illuminate our perceptions of plant communities and to identify, characterize, and prioritize various natural landscapes for biological conservation.

My current research focuses on the molecular systematics of the Apameini (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), particularly the endophagous feeders, or borers, many of which are associated with grass-dominated ecosystems such as North American prairies and canebrakes. Using this group, I am exploring the cladistic mechanics of key innovation theory, and in particular the role of diapause shifts in mediating host use spectra in the apameine group that includes the genus Papaipema, North America’s largest endemic genus of noctuid moths. As a member of the Pritzker Lab for Molecular Systematics and Evolution, I rely heavily on DNA sequence data for phylogenetic inference. However, my approach to reconstructing apameine phylogeny—and to phylogenetic inference generally—involves a combination of molecular and morphological character data.