Biographical Sketch
Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

I received my B. A. degree in Anthropology and Zoology from the University of Kansas and then subsequently worked as staff scientist and later as assistant field director for Smithsonian Institution’s Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program. I received my M. S. and Ph. D. degrees in Zoology with emphasis in ecology and environmental studies from Michigan State University. Soon after obtaining my Ph. D., I received a Faculty Fellowship in the Executive Office of the President’s Council on Environmental Quality during the Carter Administration. I have served on the faculties of Michigan State University, the University of North Dakota, Tufts University, and am one of the founding faculty of Florida Gulf Coast University. I have authored more than 40 publications in the areas of behavioral ecology, ecosystems conservation, and sustainability studies.

I have worked on environmental issues as an environmental leader in several non-governmental organizations including the Massachusetts Audubon Society where I was chief scientist; Mainewatch Institute where I was senior fellow and president; and The Conservancy of Southwest Florida where I was president and chief executive officer. I have participated in and written on growth management efforts in New England and Florida.

I am currently an Associate Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University located in Ft. Myers. As one of the founding faculty, I have designed and taught more than 15 courses in the Environmental Studies Program at FGCU. In addition to my teaching duties, I recently chaired the University’s Environmental Task Force and founded the FGCU Green Building Project. I currently direct the FGCU Environmental Management Systems Project and the Institute for Sustainability. I currently serve on several boards including that of the Governor’s Council for Sustainable Florida, the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystems Watershed Trust, and Florida Foresight. In addition, I serve as faculty advisor for the FGCU Freshman Honors Society.