Research Interests
- Quantifying and projecting forest characteristics and trends through modeling and/or other statistical methods
- Using USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data to address diverse natural resource needs from local stakeholders to the international community
- Providing statistical expertise to various colleagues and graduate students within the department, college, and university
- Conducting general forest inventory and analysis
- Developing software for delivery of research results to stakeholders
- Identifying teaching methodologies that promote learning and content retention from natural resource courses
Current Projects
Growth and yield of shortleaf pine - With my former graduate student, we are developing growth and yield models for shortleaf pine on the Cumberland Plateau regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama using Forest Inventory and Analysis data. A lack of biometric information for this species in the region inhibits the utility of harvest scheduling and economic analyses critical to incentivizing re-establishment of shortleaf pine, previously devastated by the Southern pine beetle. Our results will fill a long-term information gap in shortleaf pine silvicultural systems.
Tennessee Pine Resource and Market Analysis - The Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) is considering investment in facilitating and promoting pine markets across the state. However, ambiguity remains on the sustainability of the pine resource and the associated markets. With colleagues from the University of Tennessee, we are identifying historic trends in the pine resource and markets and forecasting future developments to assist TDF with allocating the appropriate resources.
When I'm not in the woods, I'm...
Spending time with my wife and three kiddos; Fellowship and serve in my local church; Road trip to see family and friends; fish; disc golf; gather with friends
Education
- PhD, Natural Resources Science and Management - Monitoring, Assessment, and Geospatial Analysis, University of Minnesota, 2013
- MS, Statistics, University of Minnesota, 2015
- MS, Natural Resources Science and Management - Monitoring, Assessment, and Geospatial Analysis, University of Minnesota, 2010
- BS, Forest Resources, University of Idaho, 2007
Favorite Tree: Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
