I am a Professor of the Practice in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane’s School of Science and Engineering. I currently teach courses from the introductory to graduate-level. My research interests spans across areas including plants and animal interactions, elemental defense, biointeraction between elements and organic defense chemicals, agroecology and trophic transfer of elements.

PhD, Biological Sciences – Auburn University 

I evaluated the toxicities of Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn against a generalist herbivore Spodoptera exigua and the trophic transfer of these metals. First, I determined the minimum lethal and minimum sublethal concentrations for each metal against S. exigua larvae. Second, I evaluated the type of joint effect that occurs between Co, Cu, Ni and Zn when fed in combination to Spodoptera exigua larvae and between the four metals and three organic compounds (nicotine, mustard seed powder and tannic acid) when fed in combination to Spodoptera exigua. I tested for joint effects using both lethal and sublethal concentrations of the chemicals tested. Third, I evaluated the survival, growth and development of a generalist predator (Podisus maculiventris) when fed herbivorous prey (Spodoptera exigua) reared on artificial diets amended with MSCs and MLCs of Co, Cu, Ni and Zn. Additionally, I determined if the four metals were biotransferred or bioaccumulated from the diet to herbivore and predator.

MS, Environmental Science – Columbus State University 

I studied the tolerance and accumulation of copper, lead and zinc by the fern Ceratopteris richardii (C-fern). The goal was to determine whether C-fern could be a candidate for phytoremediation. 

BS, Biology – Columbus State University

I studied the conversion of males gametophytes to hermaphrodites in the fern Ceratopteris richardii (c-fern). In the study, I isolated fully developed males from hermaphrodites and tested the effect of various parameters including duration in which the male gametophytes were exposed to antheridiogen, the concentration of antheridiogen in which the spores germinated on the rate of conversion. I also evaluated whether the males that converted to the hermaphrodites produced antheridiogen like the hermaphrodites that developed from spores.