Biography

I am an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Environment and the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University. I work at the interface of disciplines to show how innovations in plant structure-function relationships impact plant evolution and plant resilience to shifting environments. My work elucidates: (1) how basic biophysical rules govern plant development, structure, and function, (2) how multiple agents of selection interact with these basic rules to influence functional diversity across space and time, and (3) how these tissue-level rules influence organismal performance, community dynamics, and ecosystem responses to climate change. This work is highly interdisciplinary both within the natural sciences and with social scientists to understand how human action and cultural attitudes can drive plant community dynamics across ecosystem boundaries.