Overview

My research focuses on the origin, maintenance, and conservation of biodiversity. I develop bigger and better datasets and new computational tools to tackle long-standing ecological questions and pressing conservation issues. I use a variety of approaches across spatial and taxonomic scales ranging from small (e.g., a few species in a .25 m x .25 m plot) to very large (whole phyla across the globe). At smaller scales, I leverage functional, phylogenetic, and taxonomic tools to understand the assembly and maintenance of communities by environmental and biotic factors. At larger scales, I study the distribution of biodiversity across the globe using biogeographic and macroecological tools coupled with Big Data. My work involves close collaborations with conservation organizations aimed at guiding decision-making and informing policy. I believe in taking an inclusive and collaborative approach to science: my work benefits from the deliberate inclusion of collaborators with perspectives that differ from mine.