I am a professor and director of the herbarium at Central Michigan University (CMU) in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. My research includes molecular, morphological, and specimen-based research on systematics of the bulrushes (Schoenoplectus and Schoenoplectiella); monitoring and management of aquatic invasive plants in the Great Lakes; and conservation of biodiversity in prairie fen wetlands. I am active in the scholarship of teaching. This includes efforts to develop biodiversity data literacy standards in undergraduate education (BLUE: Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education), define and evaluate best practices for Broadening Participation in Biodiversity Science through natural history collections, and examine data literacy, uses of citizen science data, and diversity in the National Parks (3dNaturalists).

I am an active member of the Botanical Society of America (BSA), with membership in both the teaching and systematics sections. Currently, I serve as a member of the Education Committee (2016 to present) and an ad Hoc member of the Human Diversity Committee (member 2012-2016). In collaboration with BSA, I am a co-PI on Plants II, an NSF-funded undergraduate travel award to enhance diversity at the annual BSA conference. For several years, I served as a science mentor for the BSA PlantingScience learning community. Within the broader scientific community, I serve on the Advisory Council for the Biodiversity Collections Network, as a Small Collections Network liaison to the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, as a trustee for the Hanes Trust (funds Michigan botanical research), and on the editorial board for BioScience. I was a founding member of the Michigan Consortium of Botanists, and alongside colleagues and collaborators, organized an effort to digitize ten Michigan small herbaria via the Michigan Small Herbaria Initiative.

I am interested in supporting, promoting, and advancing BSA education initiatives as an At-Large Board Member for Education. The BSA has a strong history of botanical education and was instrumental in my development as a botanical researcher and educator. I would like to be part of building capacity in the BSA education initiatives. This includes fostering collaboration and inclusivity within our society, among societies, and across educational initiatives and networks. I would like to be part of furthering BSA efforts to infuse botanical education into the curriculum at all levels. In the capacity of an At-Large Board Member for Education, and as part of the BSA community, I want to ensure plant science education is meeting the workforce needs of the 21st century, while being inclusive and encouraging retention of a diverse population of emerging professionals.